WALES

Council Tax

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Minister for Wales on assistance to service families resident in Wales in receiving the 50 per cent. reduction in council tax liability.

Peter Hain: My colleague the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has discussed this matter in detail with the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Local Government and Social Justice. I understand that, the Welsh Assembly Government are now amending the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (Wales) Regulations 1998 to provide that billing authorities may not reduce the council tax discount for second homes owned by armed forces personnel who live in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence.

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA68, on Government departments: annual reports, and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Wayne David: The Wales Office does not publish an annual report on departmental communications. The Wales Office publishes a single annual report covering all aspects of Wales Office work.

Departmental Information Officers

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department have the status of  (a) embedded communicators and  (b) are members of the Government Communications Network and are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Wayne David: The Wales Office employs three communications staff who work in press office. All three members of staff are listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of his Department managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector.

Ann McKechin: I refer the hon. Member to my answer given on 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 5W.

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what payments were made by his Department and each of its agencies to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years.

Ann McKechin: The Newspaper Licensing Agency figures shown in the table include cumulative and backdated NLA payments for the years 1999 to 2005 inclusive. Scotland Office has sought to reduce its costs on an ongoing basis in line with good practice.
	
		
			   £ 
			 1999-2000 to 2006-07 7,853 
			 2007-08 3,203 
			 2008-09 285

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column WA68, on Government Departments: Annual Reports, and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether her Office publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Cabinet Office publishes an annual report and accounts document which records the performance and financial situation of the Department. The report contains information on the progress of the Department against its six departmental strategic objectives, the public service agreements for which it leads delivery, the service transformation agreement and other targets.
	Within this framework the annual report provides information on relevant areas of communications delivery. However there is no specific annual report published by Cabinet Office reporting solely on departmental communications.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 962-3W, on departmental training, on what dates the training was provided.

Barbara Keeley: The media skills training course attended by a Minister from the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons took place during the 2007-08 financial year.

Members: Correspondence

Anthony Steen: To ask the Leader of the House when she plans to reply to the email from the hon. Member for Totnes, dated 27 January 2010, on Haiti.

Barbara Keeley: My right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House of Commons, has today responded to the hon. Member for Totnes' email dated 27 January 2010, on Haiti.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House if she will place in the Library a copy of any advice issued to staff of her Office on stress recognition and management.

Barbara Keeley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office answer of 3 February 2010,  Official Report, column 412W:
	"The Cabinet Office is committed to the health and well-being of its staff and has policies, procedures and support in place to identify, manage and reduce workplace stress.
	I have placed a copy of the Department's Stress Recognition and Management Guide in the Library."

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Moths: House of Commons

Graham Allen: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what proposals there are to end the infestation of moths in T block; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Significant numbers of the Common House Moth (Tineola bisselliella) were first reported in the House in early 2008 and preventative treatment has been undertaken since then. In order to minimise the use of pesticides and the consequent risk of exposure to potential toxicants, a process involving moth pheromone has been employed. Although activity in T block remains an issue, monitoring of moth activity shows that moth numbers within the House of Commons estate are generally declining. Alternative methods of eradication, including heat treatment of items and individual spraying of offices to kill larvae, are being considered.

Reform

Tony Wright: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if he will make a statement on steps taken by staff of the House in taking forward work arising from the recommendations and conclusions of the House of Commons Reform Committee in its First Report of Session 2008-09, Rebuilding the House, HC 1117.

Nick Harvey: Upon publication of the report in November, the Clerk of the House set in hand work on the possible changes to procedures and practices which would be required were the House to endorse some or all of the recommendations and conclusions, including possible changes to Standing Orders and changes to procedures and practices.
	Some recommendations and conclusions proposed specific work by the House. A progress report on these is set out as follows.
	 Recommendation 38- P iloting of a more open approach to the scheduling of public bill committee evidence sessions and production by the relevant authorities of a report for the appropriate committee in the new Parliament:
	Attempts have been made over the past two months to develop a more open approach to public bill committee evidence scheduling, in co-operation with all concerned. A Scrutiny Unit report is therefore in the process of preparation, with a view to presenting it to the appropriate select committee in the new Parliament.
	 Recommendations 41 and 42-S hift in the primary focus of the House's public engagement agenda towards greater degree of public participation, and opportunity for the public to influence the content of draft laws:
	Discussion at official level is under way on the future pattern and direction of the House's public engagement effort, in the light of these two recommendations. Thought is being given to approaches which would give "a real opportunity to the public to influence the content of draft laws". Decisions would require to be taken by the proper authorities, including the House of Commons Commission and possibly the House itself, in the new Parliament.
	 Recommendation 43-Commissioning of investigation of practicalities of a national equivalent of "petitions requiring debate":
	The Parliament and Constitution Centre in the DIS is looking further into the agenda initiative issue, as part of its general research effort. The results of the research, which should be completed by the start of the new Parliament, will inform future debate and decision on the practicalities of any sort of agenda initiative at national level. The study will course make no assumptions about what view the House may take in future.
	 Recommendation 44-U rgent discussions on a new costed scheme for e-petitions:
	The urgent discussions recommended by the Committee have taken place. A revised outline scheme is being prepared which is likely to be cheaper than the scheme proposed in April 2008. It will in due course be for the House in this or the next Parliament to decide whether or not to proceed.
	 Recommendation 48-I nformation for petitioners of relevant House proceedings:
	House staff are preparing to pilot two alternative routes for giving suitable information to petitioners, via the Member who presented the relevant petition, with a view to identifying the best way forward early on in the new Parliament. This can then be put to the appropriate committee for decision.
	 Recommendation 50-House authorities to work up a scheme on motions for House debate:
	A scheme for motions for House debate, identifying a number of options, is currently being worked up, with a view to presenting it to the appropriate committee in the new Parliament.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA68, on Government departments: annual reports, and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Paul Goggins: Communications are included in the annual departmental report.

Departmental Information Officers

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department and its agencies have the status of  (a) embedded communicators and  (b) are members of the Government Communications Network and are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Information Service is responsible for all communications within the Department and all press officers are listed in the COI White Book.

Driving Offences

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms have been established to enable data sharing in respect of fixed penalty motoring offences between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Irish Garda in accordance with the principle of mutual recognition of financial penalties.

Paul Goggins: Roads Policing Policy in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Department of Environment. The sharing of data between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana in relation to motoring offences is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked the Chief Constable to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Hotels

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many separate bookings for hotels graded at five star or above were made through the Expotel booking service by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available; and at what cost such bookings were made.

Paul Goggins: No bookings were made through the Expotel booking service.

Slavery

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will discuss with the First Minister the introduction into the Northern Ireland Assembly of a bill to establish a national day to raise awareness of the need to eradicate all forms of slavery.

Shaun Woodward: I would gladly discuss these matters if invited to do so by the First and Deputy First Minister.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of any advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management.

Paul Goggins: The Department has a duty under Northern Ireland Health and Safety legislation to ensure so far as reasonably practicable the health and safety of all staff, including the recognition and management of stress.
	To meet these responsibilities, managers within the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) are required to attend a mandatory "Addressing Stress" training course. A copy of the guidance issued to managers on this course has been placed in the Library.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service: Art Works

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2010,  Official Report, column 244W, on departmental public expenditure, what the arrangements are within the Crown Prosecution Service for the authorisation of the acquisition of works of art; whether payments made in connection with the acquisition of such art works are subject to  (a) monthly or  (b) annual financial returns; and what post-payment internal audit arrangements are in place.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has formal financial delegation and approval control systems in place to cover all expenditure. The systems require that any expenditure must be made in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Financial delegation limits are checked at the point of payment. All expenditure on assets that cost £500 or more is recorded and checked separately. There is no record that the department has incurred expenditure on works of art in excess of this limit.
	There is no requirement for either monthly or annual financial returns in respect of expenditure on works of art.
	The procurement and payment system is subject to periodic review by the CPS's Internal Audit Division. Such reviews take place routinely on an annual basis.

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1014W, on departmental written questions; by which mechanism the Law Officers' Departments monitor their responses to parliamentary questions; what the target times for responses is; and how success against that target is measured.

Vera Baird: My office now routinely collects statistical data measuring our performance in answering written questions within one week of tabling or on the specified named day. For the present session we are currently answering 83.6 per cent. of written PQ's within these targets, With effect from the current Session of Parliament, each Department has agreed to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics on the time taken to answer written questions. This implements recommendation 24 of the third report from the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Public Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much the Government Olympic Executive has spent on  (a) new furnishings,  (b) works of art and  (c) new vehicles in each year since its inception.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Olympic Executive reports to me through the Permanent Secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) therefore figures are included in the answer provided by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DCMS.

Olympic Games 2012: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she is taking to ensure that the Portsmouth region obtains a legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: The Government and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have established the Nations and Regions Group to ensure UK-wide engagement and to maximise the legacy for London 2012. This group works directly with representatives from each of the nations and English regions to maximise the sporting, economic, and cultural benefits of the 2012 Games. Some examples of how Portsmouth is benefiting from the Games are as follows.
	In Portsmouth 895 small and medium sized enterprises have registered on CompeteFor, the electronic brokerage service which enables businesses to compete for Games-related contract opportunities. These businesses have also been supported by Business Link, a Government run online support and advice service. Business Link is running an Advanced Bid Writing Workshop in Portsmouth on 24 February to support local businesses in securing contracts related to the Games. Other similar events will take place in the area in the coming months.
	Additional local assistance and funding was agreed in December 2009 to maximise tourism opportunities arising from 2012, and the Solent area is one of four areas targeted for this support across the South East region. This includes funding support to assist with global marketing to showcase the area and maximise tourism opportunities during and beyond the 2012 games. The provision of customer care training to promote a commitment to high level customer service for visitors is part of this programme.
	To make the UK a world-leading sporting nation and increase active participation in sports is at the heart of the Government's legacy ambitions. In the South East, there are 134 facilities included in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide which are available to teams from the UK and overseas to use. The Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth has had several visits from representatives of nations participating in the Games. Malawi has signed a memorandum of understanding to hold its Pre-Games Training Camp in Portsmouth. Work to encourage other visiting nations to hold training camps across the region is ongoing.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1201W, on the Afghan National Army, what information his Department holds on the tribal origin of  (a) the commander,  (b) officers and  (c) non-commissioned officers of the Afghan troop force in Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: The requested information on the tribal origins of 205 Corps from which the majority of Afghan National Army in Helmand are drawn is provided in the table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Pashtun  Tajik  Hazara  Uzbek  Others 
			 Officer 45 44 6 1 3 
			 Non Commissioned Officers 42 45 7 3 5 
			  Note: This data has been provided by the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. The Commander of 205 Corps is Pashtun.

Armed Forces: Housing

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many residences his Department owns for the purpose of housing members of the armed forces with a rank of Brigadier or equivalent and above; and what the value is of each such property.

Kevan Jones: In accordance with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, officers of Brigadier (or equivalent) rank and above are normally entitled to Type I or II Service Family Accommodation (SFA).
	
		
			  SFA Type  MOD owns 
			 I 20 
			 II 62 
		
	
	In addition to this the MOD leases under various arrangements a number of properties.
	With regard to the value of the properties, details of all MOD holdings over £1 million, together with their latest asset valuations, can be found in Chapter Seven of the National Asset Register, on HM Treasury's website, last published in 2007:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	The requested details of all property below £1 million in value, could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The value of leased properties is a commercial matter for the companies concerned.

Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out, with statistical information as closely related to Chorley constituency as possible, the effect on that constituency of the policies of his Department since 1997.

Kevan Jones: The Ministry of Defence delivers security for the equal benefit of all the people of the UK, and the Overseas Territories, by defending them, including against terrorism; and acting as a force for good in the world by strengthening international peace and stability. Our continuing main effort of success in Afghanistan, preventing al-Qaeda from having a secure base from which to threaten us directly, keeps our country safe from the threat of terrorism.
	The Service Personnel Command Paper set out the Nation's Commitment to our Armed Forces, their families and veterans. This is a cross government initiative that is making real differences to the lives of our Service personnel, veterans and their families and we are fully committed to upholding its key principles. The first annual report on the Service Personnel Command Paper was published on 19 November 2009. This report captured the progress made against the commitments of the Command Paper within the first year following its launch. It can be found at the following link:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Showcase/ProvidingForOurPeople.htm
	The report sets out the substantial progress that has been made including:
	Compensation for most serious injuries doubled;
	Free further education for Service leavers;
	Retention of places on NHS waiting lists;
	Local Connection legislation amended in England and Wales, with a similar exercise currently being worked on in Scotland, to give Service leavers credit for having lived and worked in an area when applying for social housing; and
	From April 2009, ex-Service men and women who are seriously injured were given priority for specially adapted social homes.
	Defence Statistics are not available at constituency level, but regional statistics on service personnel numbers and defence employment can be found on the Defence Analytical Service and Advice website. Location of military personnel can be found in Tri Service Publication 10 at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/applications/newWeb/www/index. php?page=67&pubType=0&thiscontent=100&date=2010-01-28
	Regional defence employment can be found in Tables 1.11, 1.11a and 1.11b in UK Defence Statistics 2009 at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2009/c1/table111b.html
	Additionally, although not defence-related, the Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk

HMS Sultan

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the future of HMS Sultan; and if he will make a statement.

Quentin Davies: Under the current proposals put forward by the Defence Training Review (DTR) Package 1 (PI) Preferred Bidder, the Metrix Consortium, training activity at HMS Sultan is due to transfer to St. Athan, South Wales, no later than 2020.
	Following this move and assuming that there is no further Defence requirement for the HMS Sultan site, the property will be declared surplus and considered for disposal with the most appropriate use determined with the local planning authority.

Middle East: Armed Forces

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops are stationed in the Middle East other than in Iraq; and where each contingent is stationed.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 37W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Reserve Forces: Injuries

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance his Department provides for reservists who sustain injuries on deployment which render them unfit to  (a) return to work and  (b) return to work in their previous earning capacity.

Kevan Jones: Our reserve forces have served this country with distinction in all the major conflicts and crises that we have faced in recent times. They play a vital role in both overseas operations and in the defence of the UK. Reservists who sustain injuries or illness whilst mobilised may be retained in service, prior to being demobilised and returning to work, to ensure that they receive the best possible welfare support and care and are eligible for the full range of Defence Medical Services. Once reservists have been demobilised their local reserve unit continues to ensure that they have access to welfare services. Reservists that are medically discharged as a result of injuries sustained during deployment are also entitled to resettlement training and to the range of services available to regular veterans.
	Members or former members of the reserve forces may qualify for awards under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), where service is the only or main cause of injury or illness. AFCS consists of a tax-free lump sum payment and is based on a tariff of injuries to take account of the pain and suffering associated with an injury, in recognition of service personnel's sacrifice on the nation's behalf. For the more seriously injured, it also provides a guaranteed income payment. This provides a substantial tax-free income (index linked) following termination of service for the rest of their lives to compensate for their potential loss of earnings and pension.
	Injured personnel who receive compensation from the no fault AFCS, are also able to bring common law claims where they feel that negligence may have occurred.

Yemen: Military Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department gives  (a) financial and  (b) material assistance to the armed forces in Yemen in order to combat terrorism.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 January 2010,  Official Report, column 743W, to the hon. Members for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood) and Kettering (Mr. Hollobone).
	Defence does not provide direct financial or material support to the Yemen armed forces but we will continue to offer support to the Government of Yemen and will consider any further requests for training assistance.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Consultants

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 January 2010,  Official Report, column 88W, on departmental manpower, on what matters each of the 43 policy and senior advisers provide advice.

Si�n Simon: The 43 advisers are all civil servants and provide advice across a range of policies for which DCMS is responsible.

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies are in transition prior to being managed out; how long on average the transition window between notification and exit has been in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of the last five years; what estimate he has made of the salary costs of staff in transition in each such year; and what proportion of employees in transition were classed as being so for more than six months in each year.

Si�n Simon: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Parks Agency currently have no employees in transition-i.e. officially declared surplus-and awaiting redeployment elsewhere in the civil service or leaving it through compulsory redundancy, and neither has this situation arisen in any of the last five years.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years.

Si�n Simon: In the last three years (2007-08; 2008-09; 2009-to date) the Department had 61 staff members who had five or more periods of sickness absence and the duration of absence was less than five days in two or more of the periods.

Departmental Training

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1069W, on departmental training, on what date the training was provided; which organisation provided the training; and what the cost was of that training.

Si�n Simon: The training took place on 19 March 2008, with a follow-up session on 7 October 2008. It was provided by Angela Coles at a total cost of £1,387.

Departmental Written Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, column 88W, on departmental written questions, by what mechanisms his Department monitors its responses to parliamentary questions; what its target time is for responses; and how its performance against that target is measured.

Si�n Simon: My Department aims to answer all ordinary written parliamentary questions within five working days and give all named day parliamentary questions a substantive reply on the specified named day.
	However, when this is not attainable then we endeavour to give an answer as soon after the named day as possible.
	My Department has a parliamentary question database which allows us to monitor how we are working to these deadlines.
	Recognising that my Department needs to improve on our figures, significant measures have been put in place across the Department ensuring that all staff are aware of the importance we must place on answering parliamentary questions in a timely manner. As such, the statistical figure for January 2010 show a marked improvement. Of 253 ordinary written parliamentary questions during this period 220 (86.95 per cent.) were answered within a working week. 25 named day parliamentary questions were also tabled with 15 (60 per cent.) given a substantive reply on the named day.
	With effect from the current session of Parliament, each Department will provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics on the time taken to answer written questions. This implements recommendation 24 of the third report from the Procedure Commission, session 2008-09.

Digital Broadcasting: Vulnerable Adults

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assistance  (a) his Department and  (b) the Digital Switchover help scheme offers to vulnerable people whose needs are not met by the standard offer of a free digital box, with particular reference to vulnerable people with sight difficulties.

Si�n Simon: holding answer 5 February 2010
	My Department is providing assistance with the Digital Switchover with the BBC through the Digital Switchover Help Scheme.
	The scheme offers practical support to make the switch to digital on one television set to people who are aged 75 or over, disabled, visually impaired, or care home residents. The help scheme will provide equipment suited to needs, help with installation, fit a new dish or aerial where necessary and possible, give demonstrations and ensure that further help is accessible.
	One button access to audio description (AD) is mandatory for equipment supplied through the help scheme standard offer. Freesat and Freeview equipment supplied by the help scheme outside of the standard offer also has AD functionality, though not necessarily with one button access.
	Recent trials of a talking electronic programme guide (EPG) developed by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) appear promising, and will be kept under consideration by the Department with a view to its possible inclusion in scheme equipment.

Football Foundation: Gloucester

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been provided by his Department through the Football Foundation in Gloucester since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 February 2010
	 The Football Foundation has advised that they have approved £1,316,871 worth of grants into projects with a total value of £2,260,390 to Gloucester since its launch in 2000.

Government Art Collection

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has budgeted for the Government Art Collection in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

Si�n Simon: In 2009-10 the Government Art Collection's budget is £1,186,000. For 2010-11 their budget is still under consideration. Budgets for 2011-12 will be decided following the next spending review.

Hotels

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many separate bookings for stays at five star or above hotels were made through the Expotel contract by his Department in the last year for which figures are available.;
	(2)  how many separate bookings for stays at five star or above hotels were made through the Expotel contract by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Si�n Simon: The number of trips booked, hotel night stays and total cost for hotels booked through Expotel in the period 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of trips  Number of nights stayed  Total cost (£) 
			 Department for Culture Media and Sport 2 2 257.57

Licensed Premises: Opening Hours

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate his Department has made of the change to the average daily number of opening hours of bars and public houses in England and Wales since the entry into force of the 24-hour licensing provisions of the Licensing Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department produced an evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) in March 2008, and this is available on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Licensing evaluation.pdf
	The report revealed that the average closing time, across all on-licensed premises has increased by only 21 minutes since the Act came into effect. We have carried out no further evaluations on opening hours.
	On 4 February 2009, I announced that we do intend to give licensing authorities power to restrict the sale and supply of alcohol between 3 am and 6 am where that is necessary for the promotion of one or more of the statutory licensing objectives. Amendments were tabled to the Crime and Security Bill on 4 February to give effect to this policy and will now be scrutinised by Parliament.

Museums and Galleries: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 539W, on museums and galleries: educational visits, how much of the £32 million had been spent on the latest date for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 January 2010
	 For the period of 2003-04 to 2009-10, the Department has invested a total of £27.21 million in the strategic commissioning programme. The remaining £4.79 million of the £32 million will be spent during 2010-11.

Museums and Galleries: Yorkshire and Humberside

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) national and  (b) local museums in (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (ii) the City of York received in Government grants in each year since 1996-97.

Margaret Hodge: The table shows Government grants to  (a) national and  (b) local museums in (i) Yorkshire and the Humber and (ii) the City of York in each year since 1996-97.
	The funding provided includes grant in aid allocated to national museums and galleries by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); grants given since 2002-03 by the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund (of which 50 per cent. is given by DCMS and 50 per cent. by the Wolfson foundation); and funding provided by DCMS to the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) for both the Renaissance in the Regions programme for regional museums (from 2002-03) and the Designation Challenge Fund (from 2001). The core funding of local authority museums is a matter for the 22 county, district and unitary councils in Yorkshire and the Humber. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy's (CIPFA) Statistical Information Service surveys local authority museums and the findings are available in its publication 'Culture, Sport and Recreation'.
	
		
			  £000 
			   Yorkshire and the Humber  City of York 
			   Government grants to national museums( 1)  Government grants to local museums( 2)  Government grants to national museums( 3)  Government grants to local museums( 4) 
			 1996-97 9.723 - - - 
			 1997-98 17.326 - 9.126 - 
			 1998-99 10.339 - 3.647 - 
			 1999-2000 13.242 - 3.758 - 
			 2000-01 14.034 - 3.932 - 
			 2001-02 15.668 0.578 4.708 0.165 
			 2002-03 18.334 1.319 5.664 0.421 
			 2003-04 19.976 0.826 6.759 0.100 
			 2004-05 20.783 1.475 6.967 0.385 
			 2005-06 20.969 1.329 6.598 0.209 
			 2006-07 23.024 2.403 7.863 0.426 
			 2007-08 23.237 3.647 7.605 0.551 
			 2008-09 24.573 3.400 7.906 1.225 
			 2009-10 24.918 3.956 7.966 0.539 
			 (1) The Government provide grant in aid to the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI), which allocates funding to its branch museums in Bradford (National Media Museum) and York (National Railway Museum). Individual allocations to these branches for the year 1996-97 are not available. The Government have provided grant funding to the National Coal Mining Museum of England through NMSI since 1999-2000. The figures provide the total allocation for the Royal Armouries, which includes its Leeds, Fort Nelson and Tower of London branches and grants from the DCMS/Wolfson Fund. Royal Armouries in Leeds is the headquarters. All national museums sponsored by DCMS are eligible to apply to the DCMS/Wolfson Fund. (2) Figures comprise the grants made by the DCMS/Wolfson Fund to the following eligible institutions: Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Cliffe Castle Museum, Harewood House, Wilberforce House Museum, Leeds City Art Gallery, Temple Newsam House, Weston Park Museum, Graves Art Gallery, the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield, York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire Museum; Government funding provided to Yorkshire Hub museums through Renaissance in the Regions (Bradford Museums Service, Hull Museums Service, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Museums Sheffield and York Museums Trust), and through the Designation Challenge Fund to Harewood House Trust, Kingston upon Hull City Museums and Art Galleries, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Sheffield Galleries  Museums Trust and York Museums Trust. Figures also include the operational costs of the Yorkshire Hub and Museum Development Yorkshire. The proportion of this funding applied to the City of York is not available. (3) Government grant in aid provided through the NMSI to the National Railway Museum, and grants made to the Museum by the DCMS/Wolfson Fund. (4) Figures comprise the grants made by the DCMS/Wolfson Fund to York Castle Museum and the Yorkshire Museum, and Government funding provided to York Museums Trust through Renaissance in the Regions and the Designation Challenge Fund.

National Lottery: Sports

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 10-11W, on parliamentary questions, what the reason was for the time taken to reply in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2010.

Si�n Simon: The Department's decision, to respond to questions on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) operational issues by asking the chief executive to write directly, has been based on the overall principles of providing responses to members within the set timescale across the full range of the Department's NDPBs. This approach also makes clearer the arm's length relationship.

Sports: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to increase opportunities for people aged from  (a) seven to 12 and  (b) 13 to 18 years old in Coventry to play sport.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested regarding Coventry specifically is not held by the Department centrally, however the Youth Sport Trust would be able to supply a response. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust to write direct to the hon. Member for Coventry, South.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Sports: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the provision of community sport facilities in Coventry.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has allocated Sport England over £ 480 million of Exchequer funding in the last five years, to invest in community sport both through national governing bodies and more specific local initiatives.
	In addition, in 2009-10, the Department has allocated Sport England £135 million of Exchequer funding. Sport England has targets to get one million people doing more sport by 2012-13, and to make a major contribution to the delivery of the five-hour sports offer for children and young people. Coventry will benefit, alongside every area of England, from Exchequer and lottery investment by Sport England in 2010 in support of these targets.
	The information requested regarding Coventry specifically is not held by the Department centrally, however Sport England would be able to supply a response. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Sport England to write direct to the hon. Member for Coventry, South.
	Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Sports: Television

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his most recent estimate is of the market value of the events recommended for listing in the David Davies Review of Listed Events.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The David Davies Review of Listed Events identified approximate market values for some of the events recommended for listing. However, the responses received to the Government's statutory consultation will enable us to make a fuller assessment of the market value for all of these events.

Sports: Television

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department has commissioned an economic impact assessment following the publication of the David Davies Review of Listed Events.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The evidence received in response to the Government's current statutory consultation on Free-to-Air Listed Events will form the basis of an economic impact assessment.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management.

Si�n Simon: DCMS takes stress management of its employees seriously in the Department and we have guidance on managing and recognising stress for managers and staff on our intranet site. A copy of our policy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Swimming: Concessions

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 540W, on swimming, how much funding has been allocated for provision of the free swimming lessons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) has budgeted £2.45 million for local authorities to apply for funding for the provision of free swimming lessons. This forms part of a package of funding DCMS has provided to the ASA to administer free swimming lessons and recruit a national network of swimming experts who are working with participating councils to promote interest in swimming and increase participation.
	Councils are being encouraged by their county swimming co-ordinators to apply for more funding to provide additional free swimming lessons.

Theatre: Young People

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, column 888W, on theatre: young people, how much was spent on the provision of the 121,742 tickets; how much funding for the project remains; and when he expects the remainder to be spent.

Margaret Hodge: My Department provided Arts Council England £2,500,000 of funding to administer this two-year scheme in 2009-10.
	£2,400,000 of this money has been allocated directly to the theatres who will be delivering the scheme, with the final £100,000 being spent on marketing. Funding arrangements have been agreed with each participating venue.
	Arts Council England to date has awarded theatres £1,400,000 of their allocation. A further £960,000 will be released from July 2010 for completion of the project.
	A further £100,000 has been committed to an evaluation of the scheme.

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average distance was of  (a) all flights leaving UK airports and  (b) all flights leaving UK airports except domestic lifeline flights in each of the last three years.

Paul Clark: holding answer 5 February 2010
	The following table shows the average distance travelled by flights departing UK airports in each of the last three years.
	
		
			  Average distance 
			  km 
			   All flight departures  All flight departures except lifeline flights 
			 2006 1,391 1,398 
			 2007 1,413 1,420 
			 2008 1,428 1,426 
			  Notes: 1. Flights by passenger aircraft only. 2. Total flight departures are based on data from 58 reporting UK airports, including flights from the Isle of Man and Channel Island airports. Lifeline flights are based on flight information from 10 of these UK airports which report to the CAA. 3. Lifeline flights are those routes with Public Service Obligations (PSOs) imposed by the UK published by the Civil Aviation Authority in CAP 775: Air Services at UK Regional Airports - An Update on Developments.  Source:  Based on data supplied to DFT by the Civil Aviation Authority

Aviation: Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 25W, on aviation: fuels, if he will give  (a) date and  (b) location and altitude in respect of each of the 18 fuel jettisoning incidents.

Paul Clark: The incidents which resulted in fuel jettisoning were reported to the Civil Aviation Authority in accordance with the mandatory occurrence reporting requirements of the Air Navigation Order. Fuel jettisoning is not itself a reportable occurrence. The location and altitude of the fuel jettisoning are not recorded by the CAA as they are not relevant to the safety objectives of occurrence reporting. The incidents occurred on the following dates:
	21 November 2008
	21 November 2008
	23 November 2008
	3 December 2008
	13 December 2008
	19 December 2008
	20 December 2008
	22 December 2008
	22 March 2009
	13 April 2009
	15 April 2009
	14 May 2009
	3 June 2009
	4 June 2009
	25 June 2009
	12 July 2009
	13 August 2009
	4 September 2009.

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much consultants employed by his Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years.

Chris Mole: Total expenditure by the central Department and its agencies on consultants in each financial year since it was formed in May 2002 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 DfT Central 57.2 58.5 65.2 64.0 53.6 51.0 56.2 
			 Highways Agency 157.5 169.7 115.0 2.4 1.7 2.0 1.6 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 4.0 3.4 4.8 1.9 18.0 6.4 12.9 
			 Driving Standards Agency 4.2 4.0 3.6 1.2 5.1 3.5 3.4 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 3.3 3.0 3.4 1.4 3.0 3.7 1.8 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 1.2 0.8 1.2 1.0 1.3 1.5 1.4 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency(1) n/a n/a n/a 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Total 227.5 239.5 193.3 72.1 82.9 68.3 77.5 
			 (1) Joined DfT from 2005-06. 
		
	
	The Professional Services Forum definition of consultancy has been applied since 2005-06 which led to some changes in the classification of expenditure included as consultancy from that time.
	Expenditure figures from 2005-06 exclude central Department and Highways Agency spend on technical transport related consultancy. Expenditure by the Highways Agency on engineering consultancy is scored as outsourced procurement of specialist services. From 2008-09 there has been a reclassification of the treatment of work undertaken by DVLA's PACT (Partners Achieving Change Together) partners: This is reflected in the figures in the table for 2007-08 and 2008-09 and is consistent with the Agency Annual Accounts for 2008-09.

Departmental Correspondence

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 342-43W, on departmental correspondence, what criteria are used to decide  (a) whether (i) an electronic document and (ii) other information forms part of the official record keeping system and  (b) the agreed retention period of an approved file plan file.

Chris Mole: Departmental guidance is used to determine what documents and other items, regardless of format, should be kept on the relevant approved file plan as part of the official record. Consideration is given to whether the information is business critical, should form part of the corporate memory and has potential value as a record to explain and justify the decisions and policy development.
	Retention periods for approved file plans, whether electronic or paper, are set using departmental guidelines which are in line with the recommended retention periods set by The National Archives. Generally these vary between one and 30 years.

Departmental Correspondence

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 342-43W, on departmental correspondence, what criteria are used to decide whether a document is  (a) judged to be a business critical paper,  (b) marked with security classification and  (c) marked with a privacy classification; and for what reasons such documents are stored on registered paper files.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport's criteria for deciding whether a document is business critical is based on our need to meet our legal obligations, and to show accountability and effective administration.
	Document security and privacy classification markings are determined by reference to guidance which looks at the practical consequences that are likely to result from unauthorised access or compromise of that information.
	Departmental policy requires that all documents with a security marking of Confidential and above must only be stored on registered paper files. Other business critical documents, including restricted documents and personnel files, are sometimes kept as both paper and electronic files depending on their nature and format.

Departmental Correspondence

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 342-43W, on departmental correspondence, what the reasons are for the length of the three-month retention period for daily back-ups of the Department's electronic communications servers.

Chris Mole: The three-month retention period for back-up of the departmental servers strikes an appropriate balance between ensuring business continuity and having an acceptable operational overhead, thereby providing the ability to recover the system and data without having to hold and maintain a disproportionately large back-up store.

East Coast Main Line: Conditions of Employment

Tom Harris: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether  (a) staff employed to provide catering facilities and  (b) other staff on East Coast Trains will have their employment conditions protected under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulation in the event of an alternative train operating company providing East Coast Main Line services from Glasgow from May 2011.

Chris Mole: Management of any staff transfers between train operators is a matter for those train operators.

East Coast Main Line: Rolling Stock

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the likely cost of the refurbishment of the existing rolling stock on the East Coast Main Line; and how many additional years of service he estimates would be delivered by such refurbished rolling stock.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport has made an assessment of the likely cost of refurbishment of both the HST and 225 trains on the East Coast Main Line. A longer life extension would require more work, and so different estimates have been prepared according to the period of life extension. To release these estimates now would compromise the Department's commercial position in the negotiations with the preferred bidder Agility Trains.

First Capital Connect: Franchises

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what provisions in the franchise agreement with First Capital Connect govern the termination of the franchise in respect of persistent service failure through industrial action.

Chris Mole: A persistent service failure could push the franchisee's performance below the Default Performance Level. Initially, the occurrence of an Event of Default would be subject to remedial action under the terms of the franchise agreement. However, where that Event of Default is continuing and unremedied, and the Secretary of State considers that it is material, the Secretary of State may terminate the agreement.

Highlands and Islands Airports

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many flights departed from  (a) Barra,  (b) Benbecula,  (c) Campbeltown,  (d) Inverness,  (e) Islay,  (f) Kirkwall,  (g) Stornoway,  (h) Sumburgh,  (i) Tiree and  (j) Wick airports in each of the last three years, broken down by aircraft type.

Paul Clark: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Kemble-Swindon Railway Line

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the latest date is that a decision can be taken in respect of the re-doubling of the Swindon to Kemble railway line before the expiry of the regional funding allocation.

Chris Mole: Although I would like to see an early decision taken regarding this enhancement, it depends upon a successful outcome of negotiations with Network Rail. Funding is available from the commencement of financial year 2010-11 so a conclusion to the present dialogue by summer this year is desirable.

M25

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the distance to the next clockwise M25/A282 junction is from junctions  (a) 29,  (b) 30,  (c) 31,  (d) 1a,  (e) 1b and  (f) 2.

Chris Mole: The distances between the clockwise M25/A282 junctions are as follows:
	
		
			  From junction:  Miles 
			 29 to 30 5.5 
			 30 to 31 1.2 
			 31 to 1a 2.5 
			 1a to 1b 1.3 
			 1b to 2 0.8

Motor Sports

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects to introduce legislative proposals to provide for the transfer of responsibilities for authorising routes for UK rallies from the Royal Automobile Club to the Motor Sports Association.

Paul Clark: holding answer 5 February 2010
	The Department for Transport will be writing to stakeholders later this month, with a copy of the draft regulations and to explain how we intend to proceed. We are aiming to complete the process in the spring.

Northern Rail

David Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Serco-Northern Rail passenger charter; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: Northern Rail's Passengers' Charter is similar to those of many other franchised train operating companies. Average performance over the previous 12 months is used to determine whether compensation should be paid to season ticket holders.

Northern Rail

David Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to assess the performance of the Serco-Northern Rail franchise.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport continually monitors many aspects of performance for all of the franchised train operators, including Northern Rail. These include, train punctuality and cancellations, train capacity provided, passenger survey results, safety, and financial performance.
	The Department monitors actual performance against targets and historic records to identify any trends. The franchise agreements, including Northern Rail's can be found on the Department for Transport website at:
	www.dft.gov.uk

Northern Rail

David Crausby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has made a decision on the proposed extension to the Serco-Northern Rail franchise.

Chris Mole: The Northern franchise is currently in its contractual 'Continuation Review Period'. During this time operational performance is monitored against contractual targets. Successful delivery during this period may result in the franchise continuing until 15 September 2013.
	The Continuation Review Period ends on 2 May 2010. An announcement regarding the extension of the franchise will be made in due course after this date.

Railway Stations: Antisocial Behaviour

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has made an estimate of the number of ultrasonic Mosquito devices used at railway stations; what recent representations he has received on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: I understand that devices of this sort have been used at a limited number of stations. This is, however, a matter for station operators rather than the Department for Transport. We have therefore made no estimate of the number currently in use and I am not aware of any representations to the Department on the subject.

Roads: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport from what budgets the cost of corrective work to the access route from Station Road to the Fallowfield Loop in Reddish will be met.

Sadiq Khan: At this point in time, no budget has been identified to cover the cost of the corrective work to the access route from Station road to the Fallowfield Loop in Reddish.
	Manchester city council, Stockport Metropolitan borough council, Greater Manchester police and Sustrans are due to meet shortly to explore funding options.

Roads: Greater Manchester

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which organisation is responsible for the design of the access route from Station Road to the Fallowfield Loop in Reddish.

Sadiq Khan: Sustrans was the organisation responsible for the design and construction of the access route from Station road to the Fallowfield Loop in Reddish.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans he has to reduce the necessity for road repairs as a result of poor work by the statutory undertakers.

Sadiq Khan: Our Street Works Summit Report and Action Plan, published on 21 December 2009, set out a number of proposed actions to tackle the unacceptable disruption caused by street works.
	In line with the action plan, the Department for Transport will shortly be publishing a revised Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways, setting out improved standards for street works reinstatements. The Department will also shortly be consulting on a revised code of practice and regulations on inspections, to ensure that poorly-performing undertakers are subject to a more rigorous inspection regime.

Roads: Snow and Ice

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of the level of expenditure by his Department on road repairs as a result of recent severe weather conditions; and what percentage of the total budget for 2010 this represents.

Sadiq Khan: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 2 February 2010,  Official Report, column 179W.

Southeastern

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on re-advertising the Southeastern trains franchise.

Chris Mole: There have been no such discussions. The Southeastern franchise began in April 2006 and is due to end in April 2014. The period from April 2012 to April 2014 is dependant on Southeastern achieving the required performance in the period between December 2009 and December 2010.

Southeastern: Snow and Ice

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what plans there are to compensate Southeastern trains commuters adversely affected by the number of late trains running in January.

Chris Mole: Customers who were inconvenienced by the adverse weather in January will be compensated in accordance with the National Rail Conditions of Carriage and Southeastern's own published Passenger Charter.
	Additionally, in cases where customers have been particularly affected, Southeastern are considering compensation claims on a case by case basis.

Stonehouse Bristol Road Station

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department is responsible for the site at the Old Bristol Road railway station at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire; and what recent representations he has received on the re-opening of that station.

Chris Mole: The site of the former station buildings and former goods yard at the Old Bristol Road railway station is owned by Dunmore Developments Ltd. We are not aware of any recent representations to re-open the station.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management.

Chris Mole: The current advice issued to staff in the Department for Transport and its agencies on stress recognition and management has been placed in the Library. It should be noted that all advice is regularly reviewed and could be subject to change.

Thameslink Railway Line

Anne Main: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the oral answer of 2 February 2010,  Official Report, columns 47-8WH, for what reasons completion of key output 2 of the Thameslink programme has been delayed until December 2016.

Chris Mole: The Government remain committed to investing at least £5.5 billion to modernise one of Britain's busiest rail routes to deliver a dramatic increase in capacity, with longer trains running 24 times an hour through central London, meaning more seats and improved reliability for passengers.
	After further detailed planning, Network Rail has revised the infrastructure work planned at London Bridge for a solution that improves access through the station, reduces disruption to passengers during the construction phase and provides a better value for money solution. As such the Thameslink programme outputs will be delivered from 2016.

Thanet

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to South Thanet constituency, the effects on South Thanet of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 2000.

Sadiq Khan: The Transport Act 2000, as amended by the Local Transport Act 2008, has provided a new policy framework benefiting all local transport authorities. The framework gives greater certainty of funding, while encouraging more strategic transport planning with local consultation, and increasing local flexibility and discretion over resources. It was accompanied by a significant increase in capital funding: support from the Department for transport investment in Kent, within which transport authority South Thanet falls, has risen more than fourfold over the last decade.
	Investment in Kent county council's local transport plan has delivered a number of improvements to the quality, safety and accessibility of the local transport network. Between 2004 and 2008, bus patronage per head of population increased by 19 per cent., and the number of people killed or seriously injured on the local highway network decreased by 36 per cent. in the period 2001-07.
	In 2003, Kent county council was awarded £447,000 from the Department's 'Urban Bus Challenge' fund to develop the 'Thanet Loop' bus service. The Thanet Loop has provided a simplified, high-frequency network of services linking Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate with the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital and the Westwood Cross shopping centre. The service achieved a 20 per cent. increase in patronage in its first year of operation.
	In 2005, the county council submitted a successful bid to the Department for 'Kickstart' revenue funding of the 'Dover and Deal Diamond' bus route. The £371,000 award facilitated the implementation of a frequent and fully accessible service, providing Sandwich, Deal, Dover and the Kent coalfield regeneration area with enhanced public transport links to Canterbury, as well as improved bus stop infrastructure funded by the county council.
	It was announced in August 2009 that the Department had approved Kent County council's major scheme business case for the construction of the £87 million East Kent Access Road. The project will provide high quality road links between areas of deprivation in Thanet and Dover and the major employment sites at the port of Dover, the channel tunnel, and the Eurokent business park in Ramsgate. It is anticipated that construction of the new road will be completed in autumn 2012.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what costs have been incurred by the Rural Payments Agency for claims processed under schemes they administer in each year since 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The net running costs of the Rural Payments Agency for 2008-09 covering the administration of approximately 60 schemes delivered by the agency and 30 schemes delivered by other organisations amounted to £240,792,000. This is as reported in the agency annual report and accounts.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many single payment scheme claims made in 2009 remain outstanding.

Jim Fitzpatrick: As at 31 January 2010, out of the total SPS claimant population of 107,500, approximately 12,800 have not received a payment because their claim is still undergoing the necessary validation checks.

Blaydon

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000.

Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Blaydon, which falls under the Gateshead council, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
	As a local authority, Gateshead is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
	To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
	To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
	To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
	To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
	To champion sustainable development.
	To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
	To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
	To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
	To be a respected Department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
	DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its Public Service Agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 Report is available at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/how/deprep/2009-report.htm
	Past reports are available online in the National Archives.
	For information on a specific DEFRA policy in Blaydon, the Government Office for the North East is able to provide information on implementation and the benefits to the area.

Care Farms

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will commission research into the number, uses and viability of care farms in England.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Care farming is a general term for the therapeutic use of farming practices, although there is no standard model in the UK. Care farms play an important role in offering a learning or therapeutic environment for a range of groups, such as the mentally ill, ex offenders and disaffected young people.
	The services of care farms will generally be commissioned by agencies such as NHS Trusts, local authorities or probation services.
	DEFRA has not commissioned any research into the number, uses and viability of care farms in England, however they are growing in number. Some of the organisations who have already benefited from their valuable services are best placed to assess their use and viability based on experience to date.

Cleethorpes

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Cleethorpes constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997.

Dan Norris: Due to the broad nature of the question and the wide range of DEFRA policies implemented in Cleethorpes, it is not possible to provide a detailed answer in the form requested.
	As a local authority, Cleethorpes is obliged through statute to comply with central Government legislation. DEFRA's policy responsibilities are summarised in its departmental strategic objectives (DSOs) that have been agreed with the Treasury:
	To promote a society that is adapting to the effects of climate change, through a national programme of action and a contribution to international action.
	To promote a healthy, resilient, productive and diverse natural environment.
	To promote sustainable, low carbon and resource efficient patterns of consumption and production.
	To promote an economy and a society that are resilient to environmental risk.
	To champion sustainable development.
	To promote a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact.
	To encourage a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply.
	To provide socially and economically sustainable rural communities.
	To be a respected department delivering efficient and high quality services and outcomes.
	DEFRA publishes annual departmental reports which set out progress against its public service agreement targets and DSOs. The 2009 Report is available at:
	www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/how/deprep/2009-report.htm
	Past reports are available online in the National Archives.

Domestic Waste: Waste Disposal

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what targets have been set for local authorities in relation to collection of  (a) residual and  (b) recyclable household waste; and which such targets are based on policies of (i) his Department and (ii) the European Commission.

Dan Norris: Under the Local Authority Performance Framework each local authority is free to choose 35 from the full list of 198 National Indicators to prioritise as part of their Local Area Agreement. 85 per cent. of authorities have chosen at least one waste management target as a local priority.
	The level of their ambition in setting individual targets is agreed in negotiation between the local authority and the relevant Government office for the region. Furthermore the policies and practices required for those targets to be met are a matter for individual local authorities to determine.
	Local authority efforts to improve their performance contribute towards the national targets for recycling and waste reduction that were set in the Waste Strategy for England 2007, based on DEFRA's policies.
	For the reporting year 2009-10, the following targets have been included in Local Area Agreements:
	
		
			  NI 191-Residual household waste per household 
			  Authority  Target (kg per household) 
			 Barnet LB 662 
			 Camden LB 483 
			 Enfield LB 718 
			 Hackney LB 595 
			 Havering LB 809 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames LB 645 
			 Lewisham LB 754 
			 Merton LB 649 
			 Richmond upon Thames LB 582 
			 Manchester MD 636 
			 Rochdale MD 480 
			 Wigan MD 791 
			 Birmingham MD 737 
			 Coventry MD 770 
			 Walsall MD 739 
			 Middlesbrough UA 840 
			 York UA 617 
			 Rutland UA 758 
			 Herefordshire UA 759 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA 829 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 569 
			 Isles of Scilly 1,448 
			 Medway Towns UA 818 
			 West Berkshire UA 850 
			 Southampton UA 742 
			 Isle of Wight UA 847 
			 Cumbria CC 643 
			 Essex CC 685 
			 Gloucestershire CC 618 
			 Kent CC 733 
			 Oxfordshire CC 723 
			 Somerset CC 555 
			 Staffordshire CC 775 
			 Warwickshire CC 702 
		
	
	
		
			  NI 192-Percentage of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting 
			  Local authority  Target (Percentage) 
			 Barking and Dagenham LB 27 
			 Bexley LB 45 
			 Brent LB 30 
			 Croydon LB 37 
			 Ealing LB 38 
			 Greenwich LB 45.5 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LB 29 
			 Haringey LB 32 
			 Harrow LB 47 
			 Havering LB 30 
			 Hillingdon LB 40 
			 Hounslow LB 30 
			 Kensington and Chelsea LB 30.7 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames LB 40 
			 Newham LB 22 
			 Redbridge LB 27.5 
			 Southwark LB 24.2 
			 Tower Hamlets LB 26 
			 Waltham Forest LB 36 
			 Wandsworth LB 27.2 
			 Westminster LB 28 
			 Bury MD 30 
			 Manchester MD 30 
			 Oldham MD 30 
			 Stockport MD 37 
			 Tameside MD 35 
			 Knowsley MD 30 
			 Liverpool MD 30 
			 St. Helens MD 32 
			 Wirral MD 35.5 
			 Doncaster MD 40 
			 Gateshead MD 30 
			 North Tyneside MD 31.06 
			 South Tyneside MD 30 
			 Sunderland MD 30 
			 Dudley MD 32 
			 Sandwell MD 28.01 
			 Wolverhampton MD 33 
			 Bradford MD 31 
			 Kirklees MD 29.45 
			 Leeds MD 33.94 
			 Wakefield MD 36 
			 Hartlepool UA 39 
			 Darlington UA 40 
			 Halton UA 31 
			 Warrington UA 40 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 40 
			 Blackpool UA 40 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 36.08 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 33 
			 Bristol UA 38 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 46 
			 Plymouth UA 33 
			 Torbay UA 31 
			 West Berkshire UA 38 
			 Slough UA 28 
			 East Sussex CC 33 
			 Essex CC 41.25 
			 Gloucestershire CC 48 
			 Lancashire CC 43 
			 Leicestershire CC 48.6 
			 North Yorkshire CC 42 
			 Nottinghamshire CC 42.4 
			 Oxfordshire CC 42 
			 Surrey CC 38

Fisheries: Western Sahara

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what programmes are taking place in Western Sahara under the EU-Morocco Fisheries Agreement; whether these programmes are in accordance with the wishes of the Saharawis; and how the Saharawi have been consulted in relation to those programmes.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information on the programmes taking place in Western Sahara is not readily available as analysis at this geographical level is not always possible from the data supplied by Morocco to the EU. However, at the behest of the UK, the Commission has asked Morocco what programmes operate in this area and they have confirmed that money is spent on training programmes in Western Sahara. No information is available on whether or not the Saharawi have been consulted as this is an internal matter for the Moroccan Government.

Fly-tipping

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many incidents of fly-tipping were reported in each local authority in the East of England in the last 12 months; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of steps taken in response to such incidents;
	(2)  how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there were for offences of fly-tipping in each local authority area in the last 12 months.

Dan Norris: DEFRA publishes the number of incidents of fly-tipping and the estimated cost of clearance as reported by local authorities to the Flycapture system with national, regional and local breakdowns on its website annually. Data for 2008-09 are the latest to be released under the official statistics protocols and can be found on the DEFRA website at the following address:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/local/flytipping/flycapture-data.htm
	Data for 2009-10 are due to be published later this year.

Food: Supermarkets

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance his Department provides to supermarkets on how to use out of date food which is still safe to eat.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government do not currently provide specific guidance to supermarkets on what to do with 'out of date' food which is still safe to eat. This would include food past its best before date, which indicates the period in which food is of optimum quality, but after which is still perfectly edible. It would also include food past its display until date, as these are used for stock control, and although retailers may remove food from sale once the display until date has passed, it has no bearing on food safety or quality. Use by, however, is mandatory for food that will, after that date, become unsafe to eat and should be thrown away.
	Where it is of sufficient quality, consuming food that has passed its best before or display until (but not past its use by) date is, environmentally, a much better option than treating it using even the most advanced technologies. Organisations such as FareShare collect such good quality surplus food and redistribute it to vulnerable people in the community. Many supermarkets already support FareShare, and the Secretary of State has recently written to supermarket CEOs to ask them to think about how this support can be increased further still.
	The Government are also collaborating with WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme), the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the food industry to improve the clarity and consistency of food date marks and storage and usage guidance. The aim of this project is to improve date labelling practice and consumer understanding, thus reducing food waste while increasing understanding of food safety.

Forestry

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of previously forested land which has been permanently cleared in each of the last 10 years; and how much previously unforested land was planted for forestry in each such year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The area of deforestation in England is not recorded centrally. However, an estimate is made for reporting emissions or removals due to afforestation, reforestation and deforestation under article 3.3 of the Kyoto protocol. The area of deforestation from 1999 to 2008 is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Area of deforestation 
			   Hectares (thousand) 
			 1999 805 
			 2000 1,024 
			 2001 1,245 
			 2002 1,076 
			 2003 1,051 
			 2004 959 
			 2005 926 
			 2006 810 
			 2007 745 
			 2008 670 
		
	
	The area of new woodland planting is reported annually by the Forestry Commission. The Figures for 2000 to 2009 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  New woodland creation 
			  Year ending 31 March  Hectares (thousand) 
			 2000 5.9 
			 2001 5.9 
			 2002 5.4 
			 2003 5.9 
			 2004 4.6 
			 2005 5.3 
			 2006 3.7 
			 2007 3.2 
			 2008 2.6 
			 2009 2.1

Genetically Modified Organisms

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to assess the environmental impact of genetically modified crops in England; which research projects have been commissioned or completed since the conclusion of the Government-funded farm scale evaluations that are designed to repeat or build on the research on the environmental impacts of those trials; and what scientific conclusions were reached;
	(2)  if he will assess the implications for his Department's policies on genetically modified foods of the July 2009 editorial in Scientific American which asserts that it is impossible to verify that genetically modified crops perform as advertised because agritech companies have given themselves veto power over the work of independent researchers.

Dan Norris: I refer my right hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 1 December 2009,  Official Report, column 574W.

Hunting Act 2004

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for the Home Department and  (b) police forces on the enforcement of provisions of the Hunting Act 2004.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DEFRA Ministers have had no recent discussions with the Home Secretary or with police forces on the enforcement of the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004. Enforcement of the Hunting Act is a matter for the Home Office.

International Whaling Commission

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with international counterparts on negotiations on the reform of the International Whaling Commission.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I discussed whaling and the reform of the IWC with the hon. Peter Garrett MP, Australian Minister for the Environment in June last year. In the same month I also met with the Icelandic Fisheries Minister where I called upon Iceland to respect the moratorium and halt commercial whaling operations.
	At the International Whaling Commission's last annual meeting during which negotiations on the reform process continued, I met with a number of my international counterparts, including the Minister from Portugal.
	More recently, I wrote to Japan's Environment and Fisheries Minister in October 2009 expressing our concern for their continued whaling and urging the Japanese Government to review its whaling policy.

Oils: Waste Disposal

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent guidance has been issued to local authorities on the prevention of  (a) illegal dumping and  (b) other inappropriate methods of disposing of waste oils.

Dan Norris: The Environment Agency and local authorities are the enforcement bodies in England for waste crime. DEFRA is working closely with these bodies to develop better prevention, detection and prosecution of illegal dumping offences.
	In particular, DEFRA is:
	Funding Keep Britain Tidy to provide local authorities with support and advice on their fly-tipping prevention strategies, including training workshops for individual local authorities. Over 70 authorities will have benefited from this training programme by the end of the financial year. Keep Britain Tidy has also provided all local authorities in England with a Knowledge Bank of best practice information and case studies, backed up with anti fly-tipping campaigning material.
	Funding the Environment Agency's Waste Crime Innovation Programme which includes pilot work on new and innovative techniques for tackling fly-tipping, as well as a Landowner Partnership Programme, working with landowner organisations to tackle fly-tipping on private land.
	Shortly to bring in new powers allowing local authorities and the Environment Agency to seize vehicles suspected of involvement in fly-tipping more easily.
	Working to strengthen the waste carrier registration system and promote-through more user-friendly guidance-the waste duty of care so that the law is better understood and easier for authorities to enforce.

Oils: Waste Disposal

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many small waste oil burners were authorised for use in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the environmental effects of the use of small waste oil burners to dispose of waste oils.

Dan Norris: Small waste oil burners which operate at below 0.4 MW net rated thermal input are regulated by local authorities under the local air pollution control system. Statistical data concerning all such regulation by local authorities is contained in annual reports available on the DEFRA website.
	The number of small waste oil burners holding a permit at the end of financial years 2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09 are respectively 1,491, 1,491, and 1,595.
	Guidance on standards of air pollution control for small waste oil burners which operate at below 0.4 MW was revised in 2004 and is published on the DEFRA website.
	The guidance, which identifies what is considered to represent the best available techniques for minimising air emissions for the sector generally, was produced through a review by the local authority unit of the Environment Agency, in consultation with stakeholders. The standards in the guidance note apply where such burners use only waste oil which arises from the premises where they are located. If waste oil is brought in from elsewhere, the more stringent standards in the guidance on combustion of fuel manufactured from or comprised of solid waste in appliances between 0.4 and 3 MW is specified. Both these guidance notes will be re-examined as part of the three-year programme of reviewing all such guidance notes, which began in 2009.

Poultry: Sales

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of turkeys sold in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have made no such estimate.

Rural Development Programme

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Natural England has spent on the administration of agri-environment schemes under the Rural Development Programme England in each year of the programme; and how many  (a) administration and  (b) operational staff it employed on the administration of such schemes in each such year.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Natural England was allocated £13,600,000 in 2008-09 to cover its direct costs associated with delivering the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). In addition to this, £22,400,000 was allocated to Natural England to cover the costs of DEFRA's Genesis IT system, which is the IT system used to manage and administer the Rural Development Programme for England. These running cost includes depreciation, cost of capital and system support.
	In 2009-10 these figures equated to £14,600,000 for direct costs and £23,700,000 for DEFRA Genesis IT costs.
	The number of staff employed on RDPE administration related tasks is 334 and on operational activity is 128. Staff numbers have remained the same in 2008-09 and 2009-10. However, Natural England has already realised productivity gains of over 20 per cent. due to improvements in processes and the significant increase in volume of agreements that these staff are handling.

Sewers: Private Sector

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on plans for the transfer of private drains to water companies for 2011.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA regularly receives representations from a range of interested parties, including water and sewerage companies, drainage contractors and private sewer owners, about the proposed transfer of private sewers to the water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.
	On 15 December 2008, the Government announced that the transfer of all private sewers and lateral drains linked to the public sewerage system to water company ownership would take place from 2011. Transfer is the only comprehensive solution to the range of problems presented by private sewers.
	I anticipate consulting in the next few months on the content of regulations to effect transfer, prior to them being presented to Parliament for approval.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Complaints: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many complaints have been made against  (a) Jobcentre Plus,  (b) the Child Support Agency and  (c) the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service by residents of the London borough of Bexley in the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what advertising campaigns her Department has been responsible for in each of the last three years; which campaigns have  (a) commenced and  (b) continued in 2009-10 to date; and what the cost of each such campaign has been

Jim Knight: These are the costs (in £ million) of the advertising campaigns for which the Department has been responsible in the last three years. Generally speaking, those numbers show the cost of media space used for each campaign. All media buying is done through the COI, who show an average of a 49 per cent. saving over rate-card media costs.
	All our campaigns are evaluated to ensure that they support either the Department's short-term response to the recession, or fit into its long-term strategic objectives, enabling us to inform our core customer groups or encourage behaviour change as effectively as possible.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Backing Young Britain (employer campaign) - - (1)0.10 
			 Employability (diverse workforce campaign) (2)2.20 - - 
			 Marketing JCP services to employers - 0.73 - 
			 Stimulating sign-up to Local Employment Partnerships 0.18 0.19 - 
			 Find Your Way Back To Work (customer help during the recession) 3.10 2.50 0.50 
			 Winter Fuel Eligibility 0.31 0.27 0.22 
			 Christmas Bonus Eligibility - 0.08 - 
			 Planning and Saving for Later Life (customer campaign) - - 2.30 
			 Pension Credit eligibility 0.92 0.45 0.87 
			 Fraud and Error 5.30 3.70 3.90 
			 Directgov-citizen usage and awareness drive(3) - 5.30 2.05 
			 (1) Spend so far (2) Over 2007-09 (3) Campaigns run by Directgov. These figures include all the costs associated with the campaigns (including both production and media space buying). Linked to a previous response on 13 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 1031-2W (UIN 310280).

Departmental Billing

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the average length of time taken by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies to pay invoices from (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) all creditors in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions became a signatory to the Prompt Payment Code in March 2009 and set a target to pay 90 per cent. of correct invoices within 10 days of receipt. This target applies to all invoices paid by the Department and its agencies which are covered by a single finance system. The target has been met consistently since the signing of the code. In March 2009 the figure for all creditors was 92 per cent. rising to 97 per cent. in December 2009. Separate figures for small and medium-sized enterprises are not collected and to provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Buildings

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated value is of (i) vacant and (ii) occupied office space (A) owned and (B) rented by her Department.

Jim Knight: DWP does not own any property. In 1998 and further in 2003, the Department outsourced its estate through a PFI Contract known as PRIME returning exchequer receipts of £250 million in 1998 and £100 million in 2003.
	
		
			  A-Office space owned by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) 
			   Sq uare  m etres /£ million 
			  Area  
			 (i) Vacant office space (square metres) 0 
			 (ii) Other occupied office space (square metres) 0 
			   
			  Estimated value  
			 (i) Vacant office space (£ million) n/a 
			 (ii) Other occupied office space (£ million) n/a 
			 n/a = Not applicable 
		
	
	
		
			  B-Office space rented by DWP 
			   Sq uare  m etres /£ million 
			  Area  
			 (i) Vacant office space (square metres) 6,747 
			 (ii) Other occupied office space (square metres) 1,529,589 
			   
			  Estimated value  
			 (i) Vacant office space (£ million) 1.1 
			 (ii) Other occupied office space (£ million) 405.8 
		
	
	Since the Department was formed, we have continued to make significant progress with our estate strategy. By the end of 2011, we expect to have reduced our estate by around 28 per cent. since the Department was formed, vacating 800 buildings and substantially improving the quality of most buildings that have been retained.
	As the business strategies involve the relocation of staff it is inevitable that this will not align perfectly with strategic property opportunities. Consequently there will be small, localised 'pockets' of temporarily vacant space remaining where return to our PFI supplier is not immediately financially viable or where there is no demand from other Government Departments. For DWP this vacant space represents less than 0.3 m per cent. of the overall annual cost of DWP office accommodation.

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much consultants employed by her Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Total consultancy spend since 1 April 2003 is provided as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Spend (£ million including VAT) 
			 2003-04 306.72 
			 2004-05 168.37 
			 2005-06 130.29 
			 2006-07 162.62 
			 2007-08 76.48 
			 2008-09 72.78 
		
	
	Information prior to this date is not available.
	Reimbursable expenses are not captured separately and are included in the figures set out above.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many iPODs have been bought by her Department since 2005; and at what cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not available centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. However, DWP does not have any contractual mechanisms in place for the procurement of iPODs or any MP3 device and it is highly unlikely that, under Departmental financial policy, such expenditure could be justified.

Departmental ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much her Department and its agencies have spent on font licensing in the last three years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is not collated centrally by DWP and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been  (a) budgeted for and  (b) spent on the advertising campaign to position direct.gov as the nation's website; how much of this expenditure has been allocated for payments to (i) Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and (ii) celebrities appearing in the campaign.

Jonathan R Shaw: Directgov has the potential to enable Government to make substantial savings in shifting from traditional to digital channels. For those savings to be realised, it is vital that the public are aware of and trust Directgov as the Government's official website. The aim of the campaign is to increase awareness so that Directgov is the first site people think of for Government information, and one which they both trust and recommend to others. Early results have shown the campaign has been a success with a record number of 614,000 visits on the first day of the campaign which was then followed by another 663,000 the next Monday. During the period of the campaign to date, year on year visits to the Directgov homepage have risen by 104 per cent.
	The cost of production and airtime purchased to date combined is £2.05 million. We cannot detail the specific costs of the production of the advertisement with Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, as this would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of Directgov.
	Regarding payments to celebrities appearing in the campaign, we are unable to provide information for individual actors, musicians or other performers. This information is market-sensitive.
	Negotiations on the involvement of these artists in the project were conducted by the COI and all of the above agreed to participate in the advert for a fraction of their normal commercial rate.

Disability Living Allowance: Inverness

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency have continued to claim  (a) the mobility component and  (b) the care component of the disability living allowance after their 65th birthday in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Disability living allowance cases in payment for people aged 65 plus in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey parliamentary constituency 
			  Number 
			   May 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Higher care and higher mobility 120 140 150 160 170 
			 Higher care and lower mobility 10 10 20 20 20 
			 Higher care only (1)- 10 10 10 10 
			 Middle care and higher mobility 120 130 140 150 150 
			 Middle care and lower mobility 20 30 30 40 30 
			 Middle care only 50 50 40 50 50 
			 Lower care and higher mobility 160 160 180 190 190 
			 Lower care and lower mobility 40 40 40 50 50 
			 Lower care only 10 20 20 20 20 
			 Higher mobility only 200 210 200 200 220 
			 Lower mobility only 30 30 30 40 40 
			 Total 750 820 850 920 950 
			 (1) Nil or negligible.   Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Cases in payment show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  3. Totals may not sum due to rounding.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Disability Living Allowance: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people resident in Torbay constituency received  (a) the mobility component,  (b) the care component and  (c) the mobility and care components of the disability living allowance in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Disability living allowance cases in payment for the Torbay parliamentary constituency for each of the last five years, as at May of each year 
			  Number 
			   May 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Care component only 850 900 920 980 1,010 
			 Mobility component only 1,190 1,150 1,130 1,120 1,160 
			 Care and mobility components 3,690 3,910 4,200 4,470 4,690 
			  Notes:  1 Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2 Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  3 The postcode of a claimant is used to assign the parliamentary constituency.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average waiting time was between the making of a claim for employment and support allowance by a person diagnosed with a terminal illness and the placing of that person in the Support Group in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such claims had not been determined within 13 weeks of the claim in that period;
	(2)  how many claimants of employment and support allowance with a diagnosis of terminal cancer had not been placed in the Support Group on the latest date for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many claimants of employment and support allowance who during the assessment phase of their claim were receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment for cancer or were recovering from that treatment had  (a) been requested to attend and  (b) been recorded as having attended a (i) work capability assessment and (ii) work-focused interview in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many claimants of employment and support allowance with a diagnosis of terminal cancer or other terminal illness had been  (a) requested to attend and  (b) recorded as having attended a (i) work capability assessment and (ii) work-focused interview in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 1 February 2010
	Where a customer claims Employment and Support Allowance under the Special Rules provision because they are terminally ill, their claim is fast-tracked, and upon confirmation that their illness is terminal they are immediately placed in the Support Group.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of employment and support allowance who have a diagnosis of terminal cancer or other terminal illness have been moved from the Work Related Activity Group to the Support Group for the latest period for which information is available; and for how many weeks the affected claimants received the lower rate of employment and support allowance before they were moved into the Support Group.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 2 February 2010
	The information is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 21 July 2009,  Official Report, column 1278W, on employment and support allowance, when she expects to publish details of the strategy to migrate existing claimants from incapacity benefit to Employment and Support Allowance.

Jonathan R Shaw: The draft Employment and Support Allowance (Transitional Provisions) (Existing Awards) Regulations 2010 that provide for the migration of customers claiming incapacity benefits to Employment and Support Allowance, have been referred for public consultation by the Social Security Advisory Committee. This consultation is currently underway and will finish on 8 February.
	Once the Social Security Advisory Committee delivers its report, the Government will publish a response.

Employment and Support Allowance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the evidence given to the Work and Pensions Select Committee by the Minister for Disabled People on 9 November 2009, when will the Department's  (a) internal review into the operation of the employment and support allowance will be published and  (b) the annual review will be published.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 4 February 2010
	We are currently conducting a department-led review of the Work Capability Assessment to ensure that it is accurately identifying individuals for the most appropriate support and accounting for adaptation. This technical review commenced in 2009, working with medical experts and representative groups to produce a series of recommendations. A finalised report is expected later this year.
	We are also committed to conducting a statutory independent review of the Work Capability Assessment every year for the first five years of operation. The independent review is distinct from the department-led review in that it will evaluate the operation of the assessments of limited capability for work and limited capability for work-related activity. This review is currently being commissioned and will report its first findings later in 2010.

Employment Schemes: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether she plans to expand the number of Right to Control Trailblazer sites.

Jonathan R Shaw: We plan to test the Right to Control in around eight local authority areas for two years from late 2010. The final number of areas will be determined by a selection panel's assessment of local authority bids to become Trailblazers.
	It is important that the new Right is fully evaluated to ensure it delivers better outcomes for disabled people. Decisions about wider roll out will be made once evaluation evidence is available.

Employment Schemes: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timetable she has proposed in respect of the receipt of applications from local authorities to become a Right to Control Trailblazer site; and when her Department expects to complete its evaluation of such bids.

Jonathan R Shaw: The deadline for local authorities to submit their proposals to become Trailblazer sites was 29 January 2010. The Department is currently evaluating the bids and will announce the successful sites in late February 2010.

Employment Schemes: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when she expects to publish a framework for use by local authorities for the implementation of the Right to Control Trailblazer sites.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 8 December 2009 the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) issued a prospectus for potential Trailblazers to consider how best to design their bids. The ODI has supported local authorities to develop their bids through a series of information events and supporting documentation.
	Regulations will set out the minimum requirements that Trailblazer sites must implement. These regulations will be developed in co-production with disabled people, their representative organisations, providers and Trailblazer local authorities. We will consult on draft regulations. Regulations will then be laid and debated in both Houses before the Trailblazers launch in late 2010.

Fuel Poverty: Government Assistance

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will bring forward proposals to assist with the heating bills of long-term sick and disabled people.

David Kidney: I have been asked to reply.
	 Winter  f uel/ c old  w eather  p ayments
	People who are long-term sick or disabled may benefit from cold weather payments and/or winter fuel payments. Cold weather payments are made for periods of exceptional cold weather which last, or are forecast to last, for seven consecutive days. These payments go to people on low incomes and are currently worth £25. Winter fuel payments are paid to most people who are aged 60 or over. For winter 2009-10, these payments are £250 for households with someone aged 60-79 and £400 for households with someone aged 80 and over.
	 Social p rice  s upport
	Under the current voluntary agreement between energy suppliers and Government, suppliers offer some help with energy bills to vulnerable consumers, and a number include help for customers who are long-term sick or disabled.
	As announced in the Low Carbon Transition Plan, the Government have decided to create a system of mandatory social price support to place the current voluntary agreement on a statutory footing for when it ends in March 2011. Draft legislation to enable this was introduced to Parliament as part of the Energy Bill on 19 November.
	Detailed proposals on mandatory social price support are still under development and will be subject to the safe passage of the Energy Bill.
	Proposals on the social price support schemes including proposed eligibility, will be put out to consultation this summer.

Industrial Health and Safety

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times the Health and Safety Executive has had a recommendation for hazardous substance consent declined by a local authority in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the provisions of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 and the legislation enacted under it in 1992, 1999 and 2009, the Health and Safety Executive acts as a statutory consultee to Hazardous Substances Authorities (HSA), usually local planning authorities. HSE provides advice to HSAs on applications for consent to store hazardous substances at major hazards installations. The decision to grant or reject the consent rests with the HSA.
	HSE requests HSAs to notify it of the outcome of all applications for consent as is required by Reg 11(5) of the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 1992. However, the response to this request is variable. HSE is not aware of any occasions in the last five years where HSAs have granted consent against HSE's advice. HSE does not keep information on occasions when consents have been refused in circumstances when HSE has not advised against the application.

Jobcentre Plus: Closures

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres have closed in the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 11 January 2010
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Darra Singh. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Darra Singh:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many Jobcentres have closed in the last 10 years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I am only able to provide information relating to Jobcentre Plus since it was created in April 2002 with the merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency. Altogether, 506 Jobcentre Plus offices previously open to the public have been closed since April 2002.
	The vast majority of these took place as a result of the decision to merge the former Benefits Agency and Employment service in 2002. Jobcentre Plus inherited around 1,500 offices from the two former agencies. At the point of merger, the two organisations had offices which, in many instances, were geographically close to each other and provided opportunities to rationalise the estate. We have modernised our Jobcentre network to improve customer service, rationalising our estate to provide excellent high street coverage and a single, integrated customer facing office, at the same time reducing cost to the tax payer. We remain the largest office network in Government with 741 modern Jobcentres supported by 31 modern, industry standard contact centres and 79 main benefit processing centres.
	The great majority of our services (in common with most large, modern organisations) are now also delivered through the telephone and internet. For example, to give customers more convenient access, we have around half a million vacancies on-line at any time (our website receives close to one million job searches every working day), and new claims to benefit are predominantly taken by telephone with some taken on-line. This has brought our customer facing services together in a more coherent and integrated network.
	Our approach to closure of a customer-facing Jobcentre takes into account a range of issues, including the impact on customer service and whether the work and staff can be relocated. When we are considering changes in our service delivery planning of this nature, we consult with our customers, partner organisations, Trade Unions, staff, and local Members of Parliament.
	In the light of the current economic conditions and welfare reform changes planned for the next two to three years a decision was taken late in 2008 to suspend the planned closure of 25 Jobcentres. Three small offices in London, where closure had been previously announced, subsequently closed in March and April 2009. However, there will be no new Jobcentre closures while the current economic conditions persist.
	Jobcentre Plus continues to give people the support they need to move from benefits and into work. We quickly recruited 16,000 extra staff during the economic downturn, all for customer-facing jobs, and have moved fast to introduce new help for customers such as additional jobs advice and more support for young people.
	During the downturn, our Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) workload doubled. But I am pleased to report that we are on top of performance and meeting all six of our key performance targets. We usually answer virtually all calls from customers making a new JSA claim and on average within seconds. Over 4 in 5 of customers are seen for their first advisory interview about finding work within 3 working days of making a JSA claim, and we are clearing JSA new claims quickly - on average within 10 days, well ahead of its target of 11.5 days.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps she is taking to ensure that people over 60 years of age receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Angela Eagle: The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to and a number of measures have been put in place to encourage pensioners to take up their benefit entitlement.
	The claim process has been simplified so that claims for housing benefit and council tax benefit can be made over the phone with pension credit without the need for a signed claim form. A targeted regional campaign is being rolled out, which is designed to engage with the local pensioner population, using channels of communication and working with organisations they are familiar with. The Pension Disability and Carers Service carries out around 13,000 visits weekly to vulnerable customers. In addition a small pilot is planned for 2010 designed to investigate the viability of making better use of the data currently held by DWP to improve pension credit take-up.
	Winter fuel payments are made automatically to most people (around 95 per cent.) without the need for a claim. For winter 2008-09, over 12.3 million people in around 9 million households received winter fuel payments at a cost of around £2.7 billion.

Social Security Benefits: Debts

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 10 largest benefit debts owed to her Department by individuals in each Jobcentre Plus district were on the most recent date for which figures are available; and to which principal benefit each debt related.

Jim Knight: holding answer 2 February 2010
	Data on benefit debt are not broken down by geographical area or Jobcentre Plus district.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which diseases are in the category of diseases of the genito-urinary system for the purpose of classifying incapacity benefit claims; and how many people claiming incapacity benefit or employment and support allowance have each such disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work which is called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on an incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claim form does not itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits, so for example, the decision for a customer claiming incapacity benefit under the diseases of the genitourinary system category would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities in the personal capability assessment.
	
		
			  Number of incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claimants with a disease under the genitourinary system category GB and abroad-May 2009 
			   Claimants 
			 All genitourinary system 16,240 
			   
			 Nephrotic Syndrome 380 
			 Unspecified Nephritic Syndrome 230 
			 Tubulo-interstitial Nephritis, not specified as Acute or Chronic 110 
			 Other Renal Tubulo-interstitial Diseases 370 
			 Chronic Renal Failure 5,490 
			 Unspecified Renal Failure 10 
			 Calculus of Kidney and Ureter 370 
			 Unspecified Renal Colic 390 
			 Other Disorders of Kidney, and Ureter not elsewhere classified 3,240 
			 Cystitis 160 
			 Other Disorders of Urinary System 680 
			 Hyperplasia of Prostate 150 
			 Inflammatory Diseases of Prostate 250 
			 Other Disorders of Prostate 110 
			 Hydrocele and Spermatocele 50 
			 Orchitis and Epididymitis 140 
			 Inflammatory Disorders of Breast 50 
			 Other Disorders of Breast 470 
			 Salpingitis and Oophoritis - 
			 Inflammatory Disease of Cervix Uteri 80 
			 Other Female Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases 140 
			 Endometriosis 960 
			 Non-inflammatory Disorders of Ovary, fallopian Tube and Broad Ligament 230 
			 Other non-inflammatory Disorders of Uterus, except Cervix 1,150 
			 Other non-inflammatory Disorders of Vagina - 
			 Absent, scanty and rare menstruation 10 
			 Excessive, Frequent and rare menstruation 620 
			 Pain and other conditions associated with Female Genital Organs and menstrual cycle 310 
			 Menopausal and other Perimenopausal Disorders 90 
			 '-'( )= Nil or negligible  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and may not sum due to rounding. 2. Data by medical condition is not yet available for employment and support allowance claims.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data..

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of  (a) employment and support allowance,  (b) incapacity benefit and  (c) severe disablement allowance whose capability for work was limited by obesity in each year since 1997.

Jonathan R Shaw: The detailed classification under which employment and support allowance data will be collected is being developed.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of claimants of incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance with obesity as main disabling condition, GB and Abroad in May of each year from May 1997 to May 2009 
			   Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance  Incapacity benefit  Severe disablement allowance 
			 1997 1,100 1,000 100 
			 1998 1,200 1,100 100 
			 1999 1,300 1,200 200 
			 2000 1,560 1,390 170 
			 2001 1,630 1,460 170 
			 2002 1,700 1,550 150 
			 2003 1,730 1,590 140 
			 2004 1,780 1,650 140 
			 2005 1,830 1,710 120 
			 2006 1,890 1,790 110 
			 2007 1,980 1,880 100 
			 2008 2,070 1,970 100 
			 2009 2,040 1,940 90 
			  Notes: 1. 100 per cent. figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Figures for 1997 to 1999 have been derived by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study totals and rounded to the nearest 100. 3. Severe disablement allowance figures from May 1997 to May 1999 are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide. 4. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, published by the World Health Organisation. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work which is called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance claim form does not itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits, so for example, the decision for a customer claiming incapacity benefit on grounds of obesity would be based on their ability to carry out the range of activities in the personal capability assessment. 5. Data by medical condition are not yet available for employment and support allowance claims.  Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 5 per cent. and 100 per cent. data.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) employment and support allowance claimants there were in (i) the South West and (ii) Torbay constituency on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance and employment and support allowance claimants in South West Government office region (GOR) and Torbay parliamentary constituency, May 2009 
			  Number 
			   Incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance  Employment and support allowance 
			 Torbay 5,460 580 
			 South West region 176,630 21,650 
			  Notes:  1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Employment and support allowance replaced incapacity benefit and income support paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claimants from 27 October 2008.   Source:  Department for Work and Pensions Information Directorate 100 per cent. Longitudinal Study.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the administrative procedures officials in her Department use in relation to claims made by cancer patients simultaneously for employment and support allowance and disability living allowance; and if she will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 2 February 2010
	Disability living allowance and employment and support allowance are distinct benefits each with their own eligibility criteria which require separate claims.
	Entitlement to either benefit is not dependent on a claimant having a particular medical condition. If, however, someone has a progressive disease, which includes cancer, and their death as a result can reasonably be expected within six months, then in addition to being automatically awarded the highest rate care component (or placed in the support group, if claiming employment and support allowance), they are also fast tracked to expedite their claim and consequently the payment of either disability living allowance and/or employment and support allowance. The Department deals with disability living allowance claims such as these within eight working days and aims to make a decision on employment and support allowance claims within five working days.
	The Department works closely with stakeholders and charities to improve the claims process.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many challenges to determinations made in medical assessment findings by ATOS Medical there have been at tribunals  (a) since the start of the ATOS Medical contract and  (b) in the last 12 months; and what the cost of such tribunals has been in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: Decisions about entitlement to benefit are made by Jobcentre Plus and if an appeal is lodged, it is this decision that is appealed.
	Data on appeals relating to incapacity benefit claims is not held centrally. Detailed information relating to the work capability assessment for employment and support allowance claims in Great Britain is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/esa_wca/esa_wca_arc.asp
	A copy is available in the Library. This report contains details of the number of initial assessments carried out since the introduction of employment and support allowance, a breakdown of the result of the assessment, including the fit for work decision and separate information relating to work capability assessment appeals.
	Information about the number of work capability assessment appeals is in the table.
	
		
			  Work Capability Assessment appeals heard on Fit for Work decisions-Employment and support allowance claims to December 2008/Appeals heard by end of December 2009 
			   Number 
			 Appeals heard 8,800 
			  Notes:  1. Includes clerical assessments.  2. Volumes will increase in the coming months as more appeals are processed, giving a more robust picture of appeal volumes and outcomes. It will then be possible to link this information to the Work Capability Assessment data and provide information on proportions appealing.  3. Figure rounded to the nearest hundred. 
		
	
	The Appeals Service and related costs fall under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. I am advised that the average cost for completing an appeal against an incapacity benefit/employment and support allowance decision for 2008-09 is £272.

Social Security Benefits: Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of benefits and pensions paid by her Department had payment credited  (a) to a pre-paid card,  (b) credited to a bank account,  (c) credited to a post office card account,  (d) credited to a credit card account,  (e) credited to another account and  (f) and paid by giro on 1 January (i) 2009 and (ii) 2010.

Helen Goodman: holding answer 29 January 2010
	The full information is not available in the format requested. The latest information that is available is in the following table.
	Aside from the Post Office card account, the Department's systems do not differentiate between the type of external accounts that customers choose to use to receive payment of their benefit or pension.
	
		
			  Number 
			  As at August each year  Bank or other account  Post Office card account  Cheque  Total  payload accounts 
			 2008 16,372,040 3,988,690 424,720 20,785,440 
			 2009 17,504,040 3,888,750 341,520 21,734,300 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Total does not sum due to rounding. 2. Figures only relate to accounts live and in payment on the specified date. 3. Data does not include Northern Ireland. 4. Figures refer to payment accounts. Claimants with more than one account will be counted for each account. 5. Child Benefit and War Pensions are no longer administered by DWP and have therefore been excluded.  Source:  DWP, Information Directorate August 2009.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if she will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued to staff of her Department on stress recognition and management.

Jonathan R Shaw: DWP provides comprehensive guidance on stress as part of its wider Wellbeing at Work programme. Detailed policies, procedures and advice can be accessed via a dedicated intranet site which also helps staff to recognise the symptoms and understand the underlying causes of stress and how these can be managed.
	I will place copies of our advice in the Library.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on levels of binge drinking in other EU member states.

Gillian Merron: The Department uses the percentage of adults drinking more than twice the recommended number of units for regular drinking (two-three units for women; three-four for men) on the individual's heaviest drinking day in the last week, as a proxy estimate for binge drinking levels in the population. The latest available data, General Lifestyle Survey 2008: Smoking and drinking among adults, 2008, published January 2010, showed that 18 per cent. of the adult population exceeded this measure on their heaviest drinking day during one survey week in 2008 compared with 20 per cent. in 2007.
	We are aware of a number of studies which compare levels of binge drinking between European Union member states, such as Hemström Ö, et al, Alcohol in Postwar Europe: consumption, drinking patterns, consequences and policy responses in 15 European countries (2002), Gmel G, et al, Binge drinking in Europe: definitions, epidemiology, and consequences (2003) and the Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study (GENACIS Project). International Research Group on Gender and Alcohol. It is important to note that the data sources and definitions of binge drinking used are not the same as that used by the Department of Health. They also vary between the different studies.

Back Pain: Medical Treatments

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the implementation of guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on lower back pain;
	(2)  how many primary care trusts are commissioning services for people with lower back pain.

Ann Keen: The policy set out in 'Standards for Better Health' requires national health service organisations to take account of all relevant guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), and to implement them where appropriate in line with locally-determined priorities for service development. A copy of 'Standards for Better Health' has already been placed in the Library. NHS organisations are also required to publish an overall assessment of how they have taken NICE guidelines into account as part of their annual declaration of compliance with national standards. The Care Quality Commission assesses these declarations, but organisations are not required to make declarations in respect of specific guidelines.
	Detailed information on the services commissioned by primary care trusts for people with lower back pain is not held centrally. We are funding a national clinical audit of pain management services which is currently in progress. We expect the results of the first phase to be available in October 2010.

Care Homes

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Care Quality Commission has provided advice on the provision of warden-assisted housing placements for elderly residents registered as blind.

Phil Hope: The Care Quality Commission has not provided any such guidance.
	The Commission is the regulator of providers of health and adult social care. As such it regulates providers of personal care to people living in warden-assisted housing but does not have a role in other aspects of the housing.

Consultancy: Contracts

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department takes to monitor contracts awarded to consultancy firms by NHS trusts and primary care trusts.

Mike O'Brien: As part of its ongoing drive to make the national health service accountable at a local level, the NHS constitution and the statement of NHS accountability have placed the emphasis on ensuring value for money to the boards of NHS organisations.
	The Department, and the Office of Government Commerce, provide advice and guidance to NHS organisations on the procurement of consultancy advice to support NHS boards.

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Phil Hope: The Communications Directorate publishes a chapter within the Department's annual report summarising activity, results and expenditure. The next report is due to be published in May 2010. Additionally, research summaries of our marketing work are published regularly on the departmental website.

Departmental ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department and its agencies have spent on font licensing in the last three years.

Phil Hope: The Department has spent £18,112 on font licences over the last three years.
	The Department's executive agency, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, has made no purchases of font licences over the period specified.
	The Department has a number of arms length bodies and several national programmes e.g. NHS Employers. Information for these bodies is not held centrally and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information Officers

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department and its agencies have the status of  (a) embedded communicators and  (b) are members of the Government Communications Network and are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Phil Hope: There are currently 19 (full-time equivalent) staff employed by the Department and its agencies with the status of embedded communicators.
	Government Communications Network (GCN) membership data is not held by individual Departments. The Cabinet Office, which administers the GCN, is unable to share membership data without the permission of individual members. Therefore it is not possible to readily provide this information accurately.

Departmental Internet

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which Google Adword online advertising keywords his Department and its agencies have paid in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Phil Hope: For the period 1 February 2009 to 31 January 2010 the Department ran 21,939 active search terms, (including searches on specific campaigns and those used by NHS Choices).
	The total spend on all these searches was: £2,720,457.11.
	In relation to which Google keywords have been bought for use, such information is commercially sensitive; in particular the collection of the keywords the Department has paid for on NHS Choices is estimated to have taken approximately one year to complete.
	The commercially competitive nature of the cost of Google Adword keywords means that putting specific information in the public domain on actual keywords used could put the Department at a future competitive disadvantage.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he expects the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to reduce its spending in 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether he expects NHS East Lancashire to reduce its spending in 2010 and 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Management of national health service spending is determined at a local level. Services are commissioned by local primary care trusts (PCTs) and management of expenditure is determined locally. All NHS organisations are expected to meet their statutory duty to achieve financial balance.
	East Lancashire PCT will receive £629.3 million in 2009-10 and £663.9 million in 2010-11. This reflects an increase over the two years of £67.4 million, 11.3 per cent. in cash terms.

General Practitioners: East Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many, and what proportion of GP surgeries in Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust area are open  (a) in the evenings and  (b) at weekends.

Mike O'Brien: The latest published figures for general practitioner (GP) surgery extended opening hours are for July 2009. In July 2009 East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust had 28 of their 43 (65.1 per cent.) GP practices offering extended opening. For South East Coast Strategic Health Authority, these figures are 502 of 641 (78.3 per cent.), and for England 6,834 of 8,279 (77.1 per cent.) of GP practices offering extended opening.
	The Department does not hold figures that distinguish between evening and weekend opening.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research projects funded by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in the last 10 years on which he relies on to fulfil his responsibility to ensure that genetically modified food is safe to eat have been designed specifically to show whether there are risks of adverse health effects for people from the consumption of genetically modified food.

Gillian Merron: I refer my right hon. Friend to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State (Ann Keen) on 1 December 2009,  Official Report, column 654W.

Health Hazards: Radiation Exposure

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports there were of health problems allegedly related to wireless radiation from  (a) high-voltage powerlines,  (b) telephone antennae and  (c) radio frequency and microwaves from telecommunications masts in the last 10 years.

Gillian Merron: The Department of Health does not hold this information centrally.
	The Department has supported research over the last decade in relation to concerns that there might be adverse effects from the low levels of exposure to electromagnetic fields from power lines, mobile phones and telecommunications masts. In the course of this work, the scientific and medical communities have become aware of people who report an unusual sensitivity to electric or magnetic fields. A range of symptoms was noted by the Health Protection Agency's (HPA's) Radiation Protection Division in its publication, Mobile Phone and Health 2004, which is available on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAwebHPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1254510624582?p=1219908766891
	The HPA also published a study entitled Definition, Epidemiology and Management of Electrical Sensitivity, which is also available on the HPA website at
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAwebHPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1247816558210?p=1197637096018
	The Health Protection Agency and the World Health Organization keep scientific reports on health effects from electromagnetic fields under review.

Health Services: Australia

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) Australian nationals treated by the NHS and  (b) UK nationals treated in Australia under reciprocal healthcare obligations in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of such treatment.

Gillian Merron: Under the agreement between the United Kingdom and Australia, residents of each country can access emergency state healthcare in each country, however no reimbursements are sought from either country for treatment provided, and so the data relating to this is not collected centrally. There is no provision for referrals for planned treatment between the two countries.

Health Services: Greater London

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request from NHS London a copy of the report, The South West London Strategic Plan; and if he will place in the Library a copy of that report.

Mike O'Brien: This is a matter for the local national health service, and it is for the local NHS to publish their plans when appropriate.

Hospital Beds

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals were on a black alert bed status in  (a) December 2009 and  (b) January 2010; and what proportion of the beds involved were occupied by older patients requiring chronic care in each month.

Mike O'Brien: These data are not collected centrally.

Hospitals: Admissions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have attended hospital for treatment for injuries consistent with a dog attack in each year since 1998.

Mike O'Brien: Information is not currently collected centrally in the form requested. Information for 1998 to 2002 on non-fatal accidental injuries consistent with a dog attack leading to an accident and emergency (A and E) hospital attendance is available from the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System (HASS/LASS), which ran until 2002. These data cover injuries from home and leisure accidents only (intentional injuries, and road traffic and work accidents are not included), and are estimates for the United Kingdom based on a sample of 16 to 18 hospitals.
	
		
			  UK estimates of number of A and E attendances for non-fatal injuries resulting from home and leisure accidents recorded as 'Attack by Dogs' 
			   A and E attendances (UK national estimate) 
			 1998 74,100 
			 1999 70,340 
			 2000 72,840 
			 2001 66,850 
			 2002 69,150 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for attendances at A and E departments-the majority of cases will not have resulted in admission to hospital as an in-patient. 2. Figures are estimates based on a sample of 16 to 18 hospitals across the UK, and have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures are for the number of A and E attendances, not for the number of people who have attended A and E (some people may have attended on more than one occasion for a dog attack).  Source: HASS/LASS 
		
	
	Information is collected centrally on people admitted to hospital as an in-patient with a cause of injury recorded as being bitten or struck by a dog. This does not include people only attending A and E for treatment. Figures are for England.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes (FAEs)( 1)  where there was a primary cause code( 2)  of bitten or struck by dog( 3) , England 
			  Financial year  FAEs 
			 1997-98 3,079 
			 1998-99 3,416 
			 1999-2000 3,377 
			 2000-01 3,282 
			 2001-02 3,297 
			 2002-03 3,473 
			 2003-04 3,773 
			 2004-05 4,133 
			 2005-06 4,574 
			 2007-08 4,611 
			 2008-09 5,221 
			 (1) FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2) The cause code is a supplementary code that indicates the nature of any external cause of injury, poisoning or other adverse effects. Only the first external cause code which is coded within the episode is counted in HES. (3) The ICD10 Cause Code used for bitten or struck by dog is W54.  Notes: 1. HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in national health service practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures that may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. 2. The figures cover activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Hospitals: Closures

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has amended its guidance to strategic health authorities on consulting with the public on major re-configuration or closures of local hospital services since January 2009.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has not amended its guidance to strategic health authorities on consulting with the public on reconfiguration of services since January 2009.

Hospitals: Closures

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to strategic health authorities on consulting the public on major re-configurations or closures of local hospital services; whether any specific guidance has been issued in respect of NHS London; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department, in conjunction with its key stakeholders, has issued a raft of helpful guidance to the national health service on consulting the public on major re-configurations or closures of local hospital services.
	The most recent guidance on service reconfiguration schemes going to public consultation Our NHS Our Future Next Stage Review Leading Local Change review by Professor the Lord Darzi, was published on 9 May 2008.
	The Department has not issued guidance specifically to NHS London. However, NHS London issued its own guidance NHS London Reconfiguration Programme Guide in October 2008.

Hotels

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many separate bookings for stays at five star or above hotels were made through the Expotel contract by his Department in the last year for which figures are available; and at what cost.

Phil Hope: The Department has made six separate bookings for a total of seven nights in five star hotels at a total cost of £1,575.21 between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009. All these bookings were for overseas destinations. The Department and Expotel do not record the star rating of hotels booked in the United Kingdom. Instead a limit of £115 per night is imposed for hotels with London postcodes and also for overseas hotels booked from April 2009. The limit is £85 for elsewhere in the UK.

Medical Treatments: Lasers

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the health effects of low level laser therapy.

Mike O'Brien: None. However the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued guidance on the safe use of lasers, intense pulsed light systems and intense light emitting diodes when used as medical devices. The guidance is available at:
	www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Safetyguidance/DeviceBulletins/CON014775

Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to North East Milton Keynes constituency, the effects on Milton Keynes of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 1997.

Phil Hope: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. 93 per cent. of people nationally now rate the NHS as good or excellent. The NHS Constitution contains 25 rights and 14 pledges for patients and the public including new rights to be treated within 18 weeks, or be seen by a cancer specialist within two weeks, and an NHS health check every five years for those aged 40-74 years.
	There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the North East Milton Keynes constituency. For example:
	Figures for November 2009 show that in Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust (PCT):
	92 per cent. of patients whose treatment involved admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	98 per cent. of patients whose treatment did not involve admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	In September 2009, at Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 97.7 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
	Between September 2002 and September 2008, the number of consultants at Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has increased from 67 to 93. Between September 2002 and September 2008, the estimated number of nurses has increased from 829 to 832.
	Between September 2001 and September 2008, the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 within Milton Keynes PCT has increased from 54.9 to 61.1.
	98.6 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral.
	Milton Keynes PCT opened its GP-led health centre in December 2009 at Glyn Valley Place, Broughton Gate in Milton Keynes. The centre is open between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week, and additional services include maternity care, minor surgery, childhood immunisations, asthma reviews, family planning, diabetic reviews and cryotherapy.
	Although statistical information is not available at a local level, North East Milton Keynes will have also benefited from national policies in other areas. For example:
	Since 1997, gross current expenditure on personal social services has increased by around 70 per cent. in real terms, with around 105,000 households now receiving intensive home care and 3,076 new extra care housing units-exceeding the original target of 1,500 new extra care units.
	Other strategies currently being implemented are:
	Subject to parliamentary approval, the Personal Care at Home Bill will guarantee free personal care for 280,000 people with the highest needs and help around 130,000 people who need home care for the first time to regain their independence.
	Shaping the Future of Care Together Green Paper, published in July 2009, sets out a vision of a National Care Service for all adults in England that is fair, simple and affordable. The Department has consulted widely on this reform and is currently analysing the responses, which will feed into a White Paper later this year.
	The National Carer's Strategy-Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities-launched in 2008.
	The first National Dementia Strategy was published in February 2009.
	Valuing People Now-a three year strategy for people with learning disabilities-was published in January 2009.
	New Horizons-A Shared Vision for Mental Health was launched in December 2009 to maintain improvements in mental health services, combined with a new cross-Government approach to promoting public mental health.
	Since 1998, there are 2.4 million fewer smokers in England as a result of the Government's comprehensive tobacco control strategy, which has a measurable impact on reducing smoking prevalence.
	Child obesity levels are reducing due to the efforts of families across England, supported by the Government's obesity strategy. In 2008, 13.9 per cent. of children (aged two to 10) in England were classified as obese, compared with 17.3 per cent. in 2005.
	Overall, life expectancy at birth for men has increased from 74.5 years (1995-1997 data) to 77.7 years (2006-08 data) while for women, life expectancy at birth has increased from 79.6 years (1995-97 data) to 81.9 years (2006-08 data).

Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many scheduled cardiology operations were cancelled at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many scheduled hip replacement operations were cancelled at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how many scheduled gastroenterology procedures have been cancelled at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton in the last 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. The total number of operations cancelled by Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust for non-clinical reasons was 483 in the 12 months ending September 2009.
	A further breakdown by hospital site may be obtained by contacting the chair of Somerset and Taunton NHS Foundation Trust.

Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on gardening and landscaping at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton in the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information relating to gardening and maintenance has been set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Grounds and gardening maintenance costs at Musgrove Park Hospital 
			   Spend (£) 
			 2004-05 29,627 
			 2005-06 25,658 
			 2006-07 32,775 
			 2007-08 32,225 
			 2008-09 27,737 
			  Notes: 1. Ground and gardens maintenance costs includes labour costs for directly employed and contract staff including contract support costs, fees, material and pay element for directors, senior mangers and all associated staff employed in the upkeep and maintenance of the grounds, gardens and external paths of the organisation site. 2. Expenditure will also include costs relating to the employment of staff belonging to an external organisation (including private finance initiative work).  Source: Department of Health (Estates returns information collection)

Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average an in-patient displaying symptoms of  (a) dementia and  (b) Alzheimer's Disease remained at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data relating to the Taunton and Somerset NHS foundation trust have been set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Mean and median length of stay for in-patients with primary diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer's disease at Taunton and Somerset NHS foundation trust, 2008-09 
			   Duration (days)  
			  Primary diagnosis  Median spell  Mean spell  In-year discharge episodes 
			 Dementia 13 16.8 30 
			 Alzheimer's disease 20 21.3 10 
			  Notes:  1.  Discharges: A discharge episode is the last episode during a hospital stay (a spell), where the patient is discharged from the hospital or transferred to another hospital.  2.  Primary diagnosis: The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. Dementia is defined with the following ICD-10 Codes recorded in primary diagnosis: F00* Dementia in Alzheimer's disease F01 Vascular dementia F02* Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere F03 Unspecified dementia Dagger codes that are relevant for F00* Dementia in Alzheimer's disease and F02* Dementia in other diseases classified elsewhere have not been included in this analyses and counts for Dementia in the table are relevant to ICD-10 codes in the range of F00 to F03 where they were recorded as primary diagnosis. Alzheimer's is defined with the following ICD-10 Codes recorded in primary diagnosis: G30 Alzheimer's disease.  3.  Hospital provider: A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (national health service trust or primary care trust (PCT)). Hospital providers can also include treatment centres (TC). Normally, if data are tabulated by health care provider, the figure for an NHS trust gives the activity of all the sites as one aggregated figure. However, in the case of those with embedded treatment centres, these data are quoted separately. In these cases, '-X' is appended to the code for the rest of the trust, to remind users that the figures are for all sites of the trust excluding the treatment centres. The quality of TC returns are such that data may not be complete. Some NHS trusts have not registered their TC as a separate site, and it is therefore not possible to identify their activity separately. Data from some independent sector providers, where the onus for arrangement of data flows is on the commissioner, may be missing. Care must be taken when using these data as the counts may be lower than true figures.  4.  Length of stay (LOS) (duration of episode)/length of stay (duration of spell): The difference in days between the admission date and the episode end date (duration of episode) or discharge date (duration of spell), where both dates are given. LOS is based on hospital stays and applies only to ordinary admissions, not day cases (unless otherwise stated). Information relating to LOS, including discharge method/destination, diagnoses and any operative procedures, is based only on the final episode of the spell.  5.  In-patients: In-patients are patients who are admitted to hospital and occupy a bed, including both admissions where an overnight stay is planned and day cases.  6.  Activity included: Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector.  7.  Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.   Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies made to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each year of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The Media Centre holds the licence with the News Licensing Agency (NLA) for the Department and it is renewed on an annual basis. The figures are available from 2002-03 and are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total payments( 1) 
			 2002-03 18,367.48 
			 2003-04 42,338.19 
			 2004-05 40,266.27 
			 2005-06 47,320.96 
			 2006-07 64,837.48 
			 2007-08 66,063.61 
			 2008-09 68,709.02 
			 2009-10 67,341.80 
			 (1) The figures provided are inclusive of VAT. 
		
	
	The following payments were made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to the NLA, for the financial periods 2005-06 to 2009-10 (to date).(1)
	(1) MHRA did not make any payments to NLA before the period 2005-06.
	
		
			  Financial year  Total payments( 1) 
			 2005-06 8,406.98 
			 2006-07 4,895.93 
			 2007-08 9,852.72 
			 2008-09 8,677.94 
			 2009-10 (to date) 13,165.38 
			 (1) The figures provided are inclusive of VAT. 
		
	
	No payments were made to the NLA by NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency in the last 10 years.

NHS: Drugs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which medicines which  (a) have been appraised and  (b) are under appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has its supplementary advice on appraising treatments which may extend life, at the end of life, adopted on 17 December 2008, been applied; what estimate he has made of the annual eligible patient population for each indication for each such medicine; what the outcomes were of each completed appraisal; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested as at 5 February 2010 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Appraisal status/title  Estimated population (approximately)( 1)  End of life criteria fulfilled for all or some of potentially eligible patient population  Recommendation 
			  Published
			 Sunitinib for the first-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma 4,000 Yes Partial recommendation 
			 Lenalidomide for the treatment of multiple myeloma 2,100 Yes Partial recommendation 
			 Bevacizumab for the first-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma 4,000 Applicability considered by the appraisal committee but did not meet end of life criteria Not recommended 
			 Sorafenib for the first and second-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma 4,000 Yes Not recommended 
			 Sunitinib for the second-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma 4,000 Applicability considered by the appraisal committee but did not meet end of life criteria Not recommended 
			 Temsirolimus for the first-line treatment of advanced and/or metastatic renal cell carcinoma 4,000 Yes Not recommended 
			 Sunitinib for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumours 150 Yes Partial recommendation 
			 Topotecan for the treatment of lung cancer(small-cell) Between 800 and 1,600 Yes Partial recommendation 
			 
			  Ongoing
			 Lapatinib for the treatment of breast cancer 2,000 Yes Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Sorafenib for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma Less than 1,000 Yes Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Trabectadin for soft tissue sarcoma Between 500 and 600 Yes Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Azacitidine for myelodysplastic syndromes 700 Applicability considered by the appraisal committee but did not meet end of life criteria Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Dasatinib and niltonib for the treatment of imatinib-resistant and/or imatinib intolerant chronic myeloid leukaemia Less than 560 Applicability considered by the appraisal committee but did not meet end of life criteria Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Pemetrexed for the maintenance treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer Unknown Yes Final guidance not yet issued 
			 Gefitinib for the first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer Unknown Applicability considered by the appraisal committee but did not meet end of life criteria Final guidance not yet issued 
			 (1) Approximate number of people annually with the condition. This will not necessarily represent the number of patients eligible for treatment with the drug. Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

NHS: Finance

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the financial cost to acute NHS trusts which do not meet the 2010 National CQUIN goal to reduce avoidable death, disability and chronic ill health from venous thromboembolism (VTE) by providing a VTE risk assessment for 90 per cent. or more of adult inpatients on admission to hospital.

Ann Keen: The goal on carrying out venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment for at least 90 per cent. of admitted patients is one of two nationally mandated goals within acute hospital commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) schemes for 2010-11. These two national goals must be linked to around 0.3 per cent. of a trust's income. If a trust achieves both goals it will earn this money non-recurrently on top of the actual outturn value of its contracts. The weighting of the financial value between the two national CQUIN goals is agreed locally, but if they were equally weighted at 0.15 per cent. this could typically equate to a payment of between £200,000 and £1 million linked to VTE risk assessment, depending on the size of trust. Failure to achieve the goal will mean that the trust cannot earn this CQUIN payment from its commissioners. The CQUIN framework applies to providers on NHS Standard Contracts funded by the national health service in England.

NHS: Sick Leave

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate of the number of NHS staff on paid sick leave was on the latest date for which figures are available; and how much has been paid to NHS staff while on sick leave in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available in the form requested. The NHS Information Centre has just begun publishing quarterly figures on national health service sickness absence drawn from the NHS electronic staff record. Between April and June 2009, the average sickness absence rate for the NHS in England was 4.05 per cent. However, there is a seasonable element to sickness absence. The Boorman Review of NHS Health and Well-being (November 2009), reported an estimated annual rate of 4.5 per cent.
	Individual pay information is not held centrally, and is held locally at trust level. It is therefore not known how many staff are on paid or unpaid sickness. However, the Boorman Review, estimated that reported levels of sickness absence results in a loss of 10.3 million days per year, equivalent to 45,000 whole-time equivalent staff and an estimated annual direct cost of £1.7 billion.

NHS: Standards

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effects on health outcomes of the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has made a number of assessments of the effects of the Quality and Outcomes Framework. A copy of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Nurses: Schools

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many children resident in  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England were seen by a fully qualified school nurse in each year since 2004;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of schools in  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England that were visited by a fully qualified school nurse in (i) 2009, (ii) 2007 and (iii) 2005.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Our child health strategy, Healthy lives, brighter futures, published in February 2009, recognised the importance of school health services, in particular, that school health teams provide a key link between education and health services, providing guidance and support on a range of health-related issues.
	The Healthy Child Programme, published in October 2009, will be of further assistance in determining the composition of school health teams, which will vary from locality to locality according to local needs and service configurations. In most cases, they will have school nurses at their core, working with other professionals and support staff. The latest available figures for the number of national health service employed nurses working in a school environment show an increase of over 50 per cent., from 2,409 in 2004 to 3,643 nurses in 2008.
	Copies of both publications have already been placed in the Library.

Nurses: Schools

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the provision of school nurses in each of the last five years on children's health; what estimate he has made of the volume of work undertaken by school nurses in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department has commissioned a report from the Thomas Coram Research Unit on Promoting the health of children and young people through schools: the role of the nurse. This study, which will conclude shortly, examines the ways in which nurses are enabled and supported to contribute to the promotion and safeguarding of children and young people's health and wellbeing within school settings. It will seek to identify strategic arrangements most likely to maximise the potential of nurses' contribution, and to inform local decisions on the optimal composition of the school health team.

Nurses: Schools

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified nurses there were in  (a) Southend West constituency,  (b) Essex and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Ann Keen: The number of qualified nurses working in the trusts that make up the requested areas are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  National health service: hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England, the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area and each specified organisation as at 30 September each year. 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005( 1)  2006  2007  2008 
			  England  
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses). 335,952 350,381 367,520 386,359 397,515 404,161 398,335 399,597 408,160 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 316,752 330,535 346,537 364,692 375,371 381,257 374,538 376,737 386,112 
			 General practitioner(GP) Practice nurses. 19,200 19,846 20,983 21,667 22,144 22,904 23,797 22,860 22,048 
			 of which:  
			  East of England SHA area  
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) 31,428 33,028 34,651 35,685 38,904 38,177 37,377 36,815 37,767 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 29,206 30,721 32,192 33,257 36,342 35,327 34,726 34,224 35,254 
			 GP Practice nurses 2,222 2,307 2,459 2,428 2,562 2,850 2,651 2,591 2,513 
			 of which:  
			  South East Essex Primary Care Trust (PCT)  
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) - - - - - - 523 489 545 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff - - - - - - 387 370 419 
			 GP Practice nurses - - - - - - 136 119 126 
			  Southend on Sea PCT  
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) - - 298 293 264 294 - - - 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff - - 213 215 193 217 - - - 
			 GP Practice nurses - - 85 78 71 77 - - - 
			  Castle Point and Rochford PCT( 1)  
			 All qualified nurses (including practice nurses) - - 155 181 217 477 - - - 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff - - 121 129 152 149 - - - 
			 GP Practice nurses - - 34 52 65 328 - - - 
			  Southend Hospital NHS Trust  
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1.020 949 1,078 1,079 1,119 1,174 1,146 1,116 1,250 
			 (1) Data shown for Castle Point and Rochford PCT in 2005, and hence for the parent SHA, appears to be inaccurate but The NHS Information Centre has been unable to source corrected figures as this organisation no longer exists; we confirm however this was the count of practice nurses submitted to us by the PCT at that time. It is believed the counts either side of this year present a truer picture of practice nurse staffing over time. South East Essex PCT was formed in 2006 from a complete merger of Southend on Sea PCT and Castle Point and Rochford PCT.  Note: It is impossible to map NHS staff numbers to specific geographical areas.  Source: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care . Non-Medical Workforce Census. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal. Medical Services Statistics.

Nurses: Schools

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of school nurses in England without a post-registration qualification in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information on the numbers of school nurses without post registration qualifications is not held centrally.

Prescriptions

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of prescriptions issued by the NHS in England and Wales were for generic drugs in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: Figures for the percentage of items prescribed and dispensed generically were published by the NHS Information Centre on 29 July 2009 in Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community, Statistics for 1998 to 2008: England and are shown in the following table. Information concerning Wales is a devolved matter for the Welsh Assembly.
	
		
			  Generic prescribing and dispensing in England by calendar year 
			   Percentage prescribed generically( 1)  Percentage prescribed and dispensed generically( 2) 
			 2004 79.1 57.8 
			 2005 80.1 59.3 
			 2006 81.8 62.2 
			 2007 82.6 64.1 
			 2008 82.6 65.0 
			 (1) Prescribed generically indicates that the prescriber used the generic name on the prescription whether or not such a generic formulation exists. (2 )Prescribed and dispensed generically indicates that the prescriber used the generic name and the item was dispensed as a generic product. Notes: 1. Items prescribed generically may not be available generically and are therefore dispensed as a proprietary product. 2. Items classed as dressings and appliances are not included in these figures.

Public Holidays

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the cost to his Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: No estimate has been made of the cost to the Department of introducing an additional public holiday. There would be no change in the overall pay bill for the Department because any public holiday would be paid leave.
	It is not possible to make an estimate of the impact of an extra public holiday on work load over the course of a year.

Sunbeds: Young People

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the tanning industry on the regulation of sun bed usage by those under the age of 18 years.

Gillian Merron: The Department has engaged in discussions with stakeholders, including representatives from the tanning industry, over the last year, in taking forward the Cancer Reform Strategy commitment to review options for the regulation of the sunbed industry, particularly in relation to the use of sunbeds by minors.

Thanet

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to South Thanet constituency, the effects on South Thanet of his Department's policies and actions since 2000.

Gillian Merron: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. 93 per cent. of people nationally now rate the NHS as good or excellent. The NHS Constitution contains 25 rights and 14 pledges for patients and the public including new rights to be treated within 18 weeks, or be seen by a cancer specialist within two weeks, and an NHS health check every five years for those aged 40-74 years.
	There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the South Thanet constituency. For example:
	Figures for November 2009 show that in Eastern and Coastal Kent primary care trust (PCT):
	93 per cent. of patients whose treatment involved admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	97 per cent. of patients whose treatment did not involve admission to hospital started their treatment within 18 weeks.
	In September 2009, at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, 99.2 per cent. of patients spent less than four hours in accident and emergency from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge.
	Between September 2002 and September 2008, the number of consultants at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has increased from 237 to 281. Between September 2002 and September 2008 the estimated number of nurses has increased from 2,209 to 2,361.
	Between September 2001 and September 2008, the number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 within Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT has increased from 53.8 to 63.3.
	92.6 per cent. of urgent GP referrals to East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust with suspected cancer are seen by a specialist within two weeks of the referral.
	Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT opened its GP-led health centre in early 2009 at Sheppey Community Hospital in Sheerness. The Sheppey NHS Healthcare Centre is open between 8 am and 8 pm, seven days a week, and additional services include minor surgery, podiatry and ultrasound scanning.
	There is one private finance initiative (PFI) scheme in the area that serves this constituency: a £14 million PFI scheme from Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT that opened in October 2002.
	Although statistical information is not available at a local level, South Thanet will have also benefitted from national policies in other areas. For example:
	Since 1997, gross current expenditure on personal social services has increased by around 70 per cent. in real terms, with around 105,000 households now receiving intensive home care and 3,076 new extra care housing units-exceeding the original target of 1,500 new extra care units.
	Other strategies currently being implemented are:
	Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Personal Care at Home Bill will guarantee free personal care for 280,000 people with the highest needs and help around 130,000 people who need home care for the first time to regain their independence.
	Shaping the Future of Care Together Green Paper, published in July 2009, sets out a vision of a National Care Service for all adults in England that is fair, simple and affordable. The Department has consulted widely on this reform and is currently analysing the responses, which will feed into a White Paper later this year.
	The National Carer's Strategy-Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities-launched in 2008.
	The first National Dementia Strategy was published in February 2009.
	Valuing People Now-a three-year strategy for people with learning disabilities-was published in January 2009.
	New Horizons: A Shared Vision for Mental Health was launched in December 2009 to maintain improvements in mental health services, combined with a new cross-Government approach to promoting public mental health.
	Since 1998, there are 2.4 million fewer smokers in England as a result of the Government's comprehensive tobacco control strategy, which has a measurable impact on reducing smoking prevalence.
	Child obesity levels are reducing due to the efforts of families across England, supported by the Government's obesity strategy. In 2008, 13.9 per cent. of children (aged 2 to 10) in England were classified as obese, compared with 17.3 per cent. in 2005.
	Overall, life expectancy at birth for men has increased from 74.5 years (1995-1997 data) to 77.7 years (2006-08 data) while for women, life expectancy at birth has increased from 79.6 years (1995-97 data) to 81.9 years (2006-08 data).

Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NHS Connecting for Heath plans to make an electronic version of the National Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Risk Assessment model available to NHS acute trusts for the purposes of recording the proportion of hospital patients risk assessed for VTE; and whether a specific hospital acquired VTE code will be made available.  [Official Report, 8 March 2010, Vol. 507, c. 1MC.]

Mike O'Brien: A venous thromboembolism (VTE) electronic risk assessment tool, fully compliant with the recently-published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on reducing the risk of VTE in patients admitted to hospital, should be available for use by acute and primary care providers in England by the end of June 2010.
	There is currently no individual standard clinical terminology (SNOMED CT) code for the representation of 'hospital-acquired' VTE. A number of codes were added to SNOMED CT during 2009 to support the introduction of electronic VTE risk assessment. There are also pre-existing codes that can be used for recording incidence of the condition, as distinct from risk. There are formal mechanisms for the introduction of new SNOMED CT codes should this prove to be necessary.

Weather: Death

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely number of excess deaths resulting from the current cold weather; and whether he has estimated the number of excess deaths attributable to non-delivery of heating fuels because of climatic conditions.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 28 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1084W.
	With current data sources, it is not possible to estimate the number of excess deaths attributable to non-delivery of heating fuels because of climatic conditions.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Equality: Economic Situation

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will make printed copies of An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK available to hon. Members in the Vote Office.

Michael Jabez Foster: My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women and Equality set out a written ministerial statement on 27 January 2010,  Official Report, column 60WS, on the report of the National Equality Panel, An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK. The statement offered Members three ways to obtain the report, making clear that: a copy had been placed in the House Library; that the report could be downloaded at:
	www.equalities.gov.uk
	and; that it could be obtained on request from the Government Equalities Office.
	House officials advised that as an independent publication, the Government would not normally place copies of the National Equality Panel's report in the Vote Office.
	However, I have instructed my officials to work with the Vote Office to meet the demand from Members.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Antisocial Behaviour: Crime Prevention

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has received recent representations on the regulation of the sale of ultrasonic Mosquito devices; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has received no representations about the sale of these devices.

Higher Education: Student Numbers

Paul Holmes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students withdrew from higher education between September and December in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Information on the numbers of students who withdrew from higher education between September and December in each of the last five years is not available.
	The numbers and proportions of all UK-domiciled full-time first degree entrants who were no longer in education after their first year (non-continuation rate) are provided as an alternative in the table.
	The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) publishes the 'Performance Indicators in Higher Education' which cover non-continuation rates of UK-domiciled full-time first-degree entrants. The non-continuation rate lags behind some other widening participation indicators by one year due to the need for an extra year's data to determine which students are no longer in higher education. Figures are provided for the five years to 2006/07, the most recent academic year for which information is available. Figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available from HESA on 15 April.
	
		
			  Full-time first degree entrants no longer in higher education after their first year-UK higher education institutions, academic years 2002/03 to 2006/07 
			  Year of entry  Number no longer in HE  Percentage no longer in HE 
			 2002/03 29,365 9.5 
			 2003/04 29,945 9.5 
			 2004/05 27,605 8.8 
			 2005/06 28,825 8.6 
			 2006/07 28,785 9.0 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded up or down to the nearest five. 2. Percentages are given to one decimal place.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Performance Indicators, Table 3a

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Charter Cities

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received on proposals on UN assistance for the establishment of charter cities; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not received any formal representations on proposals on UN assistance for the establishment of charter cities.

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of Lord Bates of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, House of Lords, column WA68, on Government Departments: Annual Reports, and with reference to the Government Response to the House of Lords Communications Committee's report into Government Communications, whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not publish an annual report on communications. DFID reviews its communications function on a regular basis, in line with its Communications Divisional Performance Framework (DPF) which is tracked against Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO) 7, Managing Resources and Building for the Future, and Public Service Agreement (PSA) 29, International Poverty Reduction. These reviews are incorporated into DFID's Annual Report, a copy of which can be found in the House Library and on line at
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Departmental ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on font licensing in the last three years.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not paid for any font licensing for either online or print purposes in the last three years.

Departmental Information Officers

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department have the status of  (a) embedded communicators and  (b) are members of the Government Communications Network and are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has 51.7 equivalent full-time posts which have the status of embedded communicator.
	DFID does not hold data on staff members that belong to the Government Communications Network (GCN). The GCN is administered by the Cabinet Office and membership data cannot be shared without the permission of individual members.

Departmental Internet

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for which Google Adword online advertising keywords his Department and its agencies have paid in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not paid for any Google Adword online advertising in the last 12 months. DFID is not responsible for any agencies.

Departmental Recruitment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many job vacancies in his Department were filled through external recruitment agencies in the latest year for which figures are available.

Michael Foster: In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Principles, appointments are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. DFID does not make use of recruitment agencies when recruiting staff to permanent positions in the Home Civil Service.
	Our job advertisements are placed in the national press or specialist magazines, in addition to appearing on DFID's own website, and at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs
	DFID periodically engages temporary staff through recruitment agencies to help meet immediate and short term resourcing needs. DFID has a contractual arrangement with agency suppliers to fill routine administrative positions on a temporary basis. However, there is also a need to fill specialist positions (for example, accountants and IT specialists) on a temporary basis, where operational divisions are able to approach specialist suppliers without the involvement of Human Resources Division.
	DFID does not therefore maintain records of the number of agency appointments. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Recruitment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in the last year for which figures are available.

Michael Foster: In accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, all external appointments to the Department for International Development (DFID) are made on the basis of fair and open competition.
	Job adverts for vacancies in DFID are placed in the national press or specialist magazines, in addition to appearing on DFID's own website, and at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/jobs
	DFID does not routinely use recruitment consultants to fill vacancies for permanent posts.
	However, the central framework of executive search services, which is managed by the Cabinet Office, was used in February 2009 to engage Whitehead Mann at a cost of £51,700 to help identify suitable applicants for the post of Director General, Corporate Performance in DFID.
	DFID periodically engages temporary staff through recruitment agencies to help meet immediate and short term resourcing needs. Many of these appointments are of specialist nature, e.g. finance, communications, and divisions can make these appointments direct with the supplier without the involvement of Human Resources Division. There are subsequently no central records of agency spend maintained within DFID and to provide this information would result in disproportionate costs.

Haiti: Earthquakes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many members of UK search and rescue teams have been assigned to Haiti to assist with the earthquake relief effort.

Michael Foster: The UK search and rescue team (UK-ISAR) comprised 64 people, drawn from the UK Fire and Rescue Service. This team returned to the UK on 22 January, at the same time as other international search and rescue teams left Haiti. The United Kingdom should be incredibly proud of their efforts.

Hotels

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many separate bookings for hotels graded at five star or above were made through the Expotel booking service by his Department in the latest year for which figures are available; and at what cost such bookings were made.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has not made any bookings for hotel stays graded at five stars or above through the Expotel booking services in the last year for which figures are available.

Mauritania

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government has provided to Mauritania in the last 12 months; and for what projects assistance was provided.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not have a bilateral programme in Mauritania and did not provided any aid to the country in 2008-09.
	Details of DFID's aid expenditure in developing countries are published in Statistics on International Development, which is available in the Library or online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what payments his Department made to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last 10 years.

Michael Foster: Payments made by the Department for International Development (DFID) to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each of the last three financial years are given in the table. Figures for earlier financial years cannot be compiled without incurring disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  (£) 
			   Costs (including VAT) 
			 2009-2010 4,489.98 
			 2008-2009 4,699.28 
			 2007-2008 1,359.76

Overseas Aid: Climate Change

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the £1.5 billion fast start finance for climate change adaptation programmes announced by the Prime Minister at the UN Climate Change Conference in December 2009 will count towards overseas development assistance targets.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committed to providing additional post-Fast Start financing after 2012-13 on top of the Government's commitment to achieve an official development assistance (ODA) level of 0.7 per cent. of gross national income (GNI), and to limiting the share of ODA for climate change finance to no more than 10 per cent.Fast Start finance, which is for the period 2010-11 to 2012-13, will be counted as ODA,

Overseas Aid: Climate Change

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which existing programmes received funding from budgets subsequently identified as sources of fast start finance for climate change adaptation in  (a) 2007,  (b) 2008 and  (c) 2009.

Gareth Thomas: The Fast Start Finance period begins in 2010. Therefore no spending in 2007, 2008 or 2009 counts as Fast Start Finance. We are currently working up plans for how we will spend the Fast Start funds over the next three financial years.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's objectives are in respect of its involvement in Haiti; and by what criteria progress on the achievement of these objectives will be measured.

Michael Foster: The goal of Department for International Development's (DFID's) humanitarian response in Haiti is to save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain the dignity of earthquake victims, and to implement stabilisation activities.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for how long he anticipates his Department being involved with development work in Haiti.

Michael Foster: In the aftermath of this terrible tragedy and for the foreseeable future, we will continue to work with the international community to support recovery in Haiti.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with UN representatives on the UN's long-term strategy in Haiti.

Michael Foster: Since the earthquake on 12 January the Secretary of State for International Development has been in regular contact with John Holmes, the head of the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to discuss a wide range of issues that must be addressed urgently in Haiti.
	The United Nations will have to reassess its long term strategy for Haiti in light of the terrible events that have taken place. However, right now the priority for the United Nations and the Department for International Development is the immediate humanitarian needs of the population.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will allocate additional funds in support of the UN's programmes in Haiti.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has announced £20 million in emergency aid for Haiti. Some of this funding is already being used by the UN or by partners on the ground working within the UN system to deliver vital aid. For example, we have provided £1 million to the United Nations Office for Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to strengthen co-ordination mechanisms, £2 million to the World Food Programme for transport and logistics and £300,000 to the World Health Organisation (WHO) for disease surveillance to help prevent epidemics. Remaining funds will be allocated on the basis of further rapid needs assessments.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his counterparts in  (a) the US,  (b) Canada and  (c) France on the co-ordination of relief work in Haiti.

Michael Foster: The Secretary of State for International Development has held discussions on the relief effort in Haiti with Raj Shah, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). On 17 January my right hon. Friend Douglas Alexander also participated in a conference call on Haiti with Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister, and Miguel Moratinos, the Spanish Foreign Minister.
	I attended a meeting of European Development Ministers in Brussels on 18 January. Alain Joyandet, the French Minister for Co-operation and Francophony, also attended the meeting.
	On 22 February the Secretary of State for International Development will hold bilateral talks with the Canadian International Development Agency Minister for International Co-operation, Bev Oda to discuss the situation in Haiti.

Overseas Aid: Haiti

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to co-ordinate its relief programmes on Haiti with those it is undertaking in other Caribbean countries.

Michael Foster: The response to the Haiti earthquake is our only immediate emergency response in the Caribbean at present. We ensure consistency with our other emergency responses (such as those following the 2008 storms) by following similar principles and using the same advisory staff where we can. We co-ordinate all our responses through the United Nations system.

Scientific Advisory Committee

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has plans to create a Scientific Advisory Committee.

Michael Foster: There are no current plans for the Department for International Development (DFID) to create a Scientific Advisory Committee. An external Research Advisory Group, which will provide strategic advice and support to DFID's Chief Scientific Adviser/Head of Research, is currently being established and we expect to have this in place soon.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of progress in the provision of humanitarian relief for Tamil internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much in aid the UK has contributed in respect of Tamil internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The latest UN figures of 15 January 2010 estimate that approximately 158,500 internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned from the camps in Vavuniya to their places of origin and 29,000 have been released to institutions and host families. Although the Department for International Development (DFID) welcomes this progress, we continue to hold concerns. Humanitarian access for agencies to assist those recently returned is restricted and the remaining 100,000 people in the camps do not enjoy full freedom of movement.
	Since September 2008, DFID has contributed £12.5 million of humanitarian assistance to help those displaced in Sri Lanka. For further information, I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 15 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 105-07WS and to our website;
	www.dfid.gov.uk/srilankacrisis

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Alterations

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the proportion of independent living adaptations and equipment provided by local authorities which was  (a) assisted and  (b) funded solely by charitable funds in (i) the latest period for which figures are available and (ii) each of the last five years.

Ian Austin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department and its agencies have spent on font licensing in the last three years.

Barbara Follett: The Department has had no expenditure on font licenses in the last three years.
	The Planning Inspectorate has had no expenditure on font licences in the last three years.
	Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has had no expenditure on font licences in the last three years.
	The Fire Service College could answer this question only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Visits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) venues and  (b) locations the Minister for Housing has visited officially in London in the last three months; and what criteria were used to determine which boroughs and constituencies to visit.

Barbara Follett: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning regularly visits the many housing developments across the country benefiting from very significant levels of Government investment. Since November, he has carried out ministerial visits to Barking and Dagenham, Newham and South Harrow in London which have all served to demonstrate how this investment is being used to benefit local communities.

Mobile Homes: Licensing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many responses were received to his Department's consultation on park home site licensing; and if he will place a copy of each response in the Library.

Ian Austin: The consultation on 'Park Home Site Licensing - Improving the Management of Park Home Sites' ended on 4 August 2009. There were 98 responses. The responses are currently being analysed and a summary of responses will be published as soon as possible.

Non-domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methodology the Valuation Office Agency used in its 2010 business rates revaluation to calculate the fuel margin obtained in the independent petrol filling station network; and what factors that methodology takes into account.

Barbara Follett: The Valuation Office Agency based its assessment on the rateable value of petrol filling stations for the 2010 revaluation on the fair, maintainable, throughput of the property in question and not the actual fuel margin on the site.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluation is designed to ensure that each business pays its fair contribution to the national burden and no more. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government and over a million properties will see their business rate liability fall as a result of revaluation.
	Over the past five years petrol filling stations have seen prices rising; turnover increasing and rents growing. It is only fair to other ratepayers that these changes are reflected in their business rate bills. However, the Government have put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on business properties facing increases.
	This means that in 2010-11 no petrol station or other business property will see its rates increase by more than 11 per cent. as a result of revaluation, with increases limited to no more than 3.5 per cent. for small properties.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Boilers: Government Assistance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent assessment is of the effectiveness of the boiler scrappage scheme in contributing to the objectives of his Department.

Joan Ruddock: The boiler scrappage scheme contributes to DECC's objectives to:
	reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the UK; and
	ensure the UK benefits from the business and employment opportunities of a low carbon future.
	We estimate that the scheme will reduce CO2 emissions per year by 1.1mtCO2 to 1.4mtCO2. There are tens of thousands of small and medium sized UK businesses mainly in the installation sector, who are likely to benefit from the scheme.

Boilers: Government Assistance

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the effects on plumbing and heating companies of the implementation of the boiler scrappage scheme.

Joan Ruddock: There are 250,000 jobs across tens of thousands of businesses involved in boiler manufacture, sales and installation. The scheme provides support for a number of these businesses. Since the scheme allows the householder to choose whom they wish to install the new boiler, it is not possible to predict the likely impact on individual businesses but we understand from talking to businesses that there has been a significant increase in inquiries.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what formula is to be used to calculate the reduction in UK carbon dioxide emissions as a direct result of implementing the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Joan Ruddock: The carbon reductions from the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme will be determined by the emissions cap which will apply from 2013. In setting the cap, Government will consider advice from the Committee on Climate Change later this year on the available cost-effective emissions reductions and the potential in the CRC sector to contribute to achieving our carbon budgets.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what incentives will be available through the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme to encourage organisations to outsource work to the most energy-efficient provider.

Joan Ruddock: The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme will stimulate changes in behaviour and infrastructure to improve an organisation's energy efficiency through introducing financial and reputational drivers. An organisation's energy efficiency performance will be published in the league table and the top performers will receive recycled payment made by all the participants into the scheme. In addition all who improve their energy efficiency will improve their financial standing by more cost-effective use of energy. CRC participants will determine for themselves the most effective way to make these improvements. Furthermore, individual customers and organisations seeking to procure goods and services can choose to purchase from the most efficient provider by considering the providers' position in the league table.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the likely reduction in  (a) UK,  (b) European and  (c) global carbon dioxide emissions as a direct result of implementing the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Joan Ruddock: We estimate that by 2020 the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme will deliver at least four Mt CO2 reductions per year among participants. In setting the cap, Government will consider advice from the Committee on Climate Change later this year on the available cost-effective emissions reductions and the potential in the CRC sector to contribute to achieving our carbon budgets.

Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what scientific  (a) evidence and  (b) advice he used in formulating the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

Joan Ruddock: As part of the development of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, Government considered a range of evidence and advice which is set out in the final impact assessment on the order to implement the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme published on the DECC website. We have also consulted extensively during the development of the scheme including in three formal written consultation exercises over the past three years.

Departmental Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on  (a) television,  (b) radio,  (c) print and  (d) online advertising in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Joan Ruddock: The campaign advertising media costs for (i) September 2008 to March 2009 and (ii) April 2009 to March 2010 (invoiced costs only) are as follows. All costs are exclusive of VAT.
	DECC was created in October 2008, just after the Save Money, Save Energy campaign advertising launched in September 2008.
	 (i) September 2008 to March 2009 (invoiced costs only)
	a. Television: £4,738,855
	b. Radio: £429,283
	c. Print: £1,792,659
	d. Online: £677,123
	 (ii) April 2009 to March 2010 (invoiced costs only)
	a. Television: £2,196,624
	b. Radio: £184,944
	c. Print: £685,385
	d. Online: £805,340
	DECC spent the following amounts on recruitment press advertising:
	(i) 2008-09: £58,428.50
	(ii) 2009-10: £142,745.

Departmental Advertising

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of his Department's expenditure on  (a) print,  (b) online,  (c) television and  (d) radio advertising in 2008-09; how much has been spent on advertising in 2009-10 to date; and what percentage of such advertising expenditure in each year was managed by the Central Office of Information.

Joan Ruddock: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) today to parliamentary question number 309943. All departmental campaign advertising was commissioned via COI.

Departmental Air Travel

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham of 21 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1451W, on departmental air travel, what the updated figures are for each entry in the table where the abbreviation tbc was used.

Joan Ruddock: The updated figures for departmental air travel in 2007-08 which have been reported through the Government Carbon Offsetting Facility where the 'tbc' abbreviation was used, and where this information is held centrally, are set out in the table.
	
		
			  Participant  Domestic miles  Short-haul miles  Long-haul miles  Total miles 
			 DFES 296,503 180,195 635,625 1,112,323 
			 MOJ 1,567,173 648,172 1,762,322 3,977,667 
			 ECGD 3,808 92,731 362,224 458,763 
			 BAPG(1) - - 121,271 121,271 
			 GLA(1) 8,782 77,309 567,679 653,770 
			 MPS(1) - 9,202,138 6,728,730 15,930,868 
			 (1) BAPG-British-American Parliamentary Group; GLA-Greater London Authority; MPS-Metropolitan Police Service

Departmental Communication

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department publishes an annual report on departmental communications.

Joan Ruddock: The Department does not currently publish a separate annual report on departmental communications. There is a specific section in the departmental annual report which covers communications activities.

Feed-in Tariffs

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has considered the effect of accreditation requirements on levels of participation in the feed-in tariff scheme; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such requirements on the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

David Kidney: The certification requirements for the feed-in tariffs scheme are explained in the Government's response to the summer 2009 consultation, published on 1 February and available from the DECC website at:
	http://decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/elec_financial/elec_financial.aspx
	The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) has successfully supported delivery of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme since 2006. We believe that the MCS has an important and necessary role to play in feed-in tariffs by providing independent assurance both to customers of microgeneration electricity installations, and to ensure value for money of the scheme. More information on MCS is available on the website:
	www.microgenerationcertification.org

Feed-in Tariffs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations his Department has received on harmonising the UK's feed-in tariff scheme with those of other EU member states.

David Kidney: On 1 February the Government published their response to a consultation on feed-in tariffs for small-scale electricity generation, which is available in the Library of the House and from the Department of Energy and Climate Change website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/elec_financial/elec_financial.aspx
	The consultation received over 700 replies.
	In the course of developing the scheme Ministers and officials consulted a wide range of organisations, nationally and internationally. A number of supporting studies are also available at the same website.

Feed-in Tariffs

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance his Department plans to prove to those in social housing to participate in the feed-in tariff scheme; and how many social housing tenants he estimates will participate in it.

David Kidney: On 1 February the Government published their response to a consultation on feed-in tariffs for small-scale electricity generation, available from the Department of Energy and Climate Change website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/elec_financial/elec_financial.aspx
	As the response states the Government consider the role of local authorities to be important and are keen for them to develop their leadership role on climate change including action on social housing. Accordingly the Government are piloting the concept of low carbon frameworks, further details may be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1449033
	Further, building on the experience of pilot projects for Pay as You Save financing and Warm Front, the Government will consult later this year on measures to help low-income households take advantage of clean energy cashback.

Fuel Poverty

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) individuals and  (b) households in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland who spend (A) over 20 per cent., (B) between 15 and 20 per cent., (C) between 10 and 15 per cent., (D) between five and 10 per cent. and (E) up to five per cent. of income on energy costs; and what estimate he has made of the average (1) fuel cost, (2) property SAP rating and (3) income for each such group.

David Kidney: Fuel poverty is measured at household level rather than at individual level. Rather than actual bills, fuel poverty uses modelled bills, modelled to ensure each household maintains an adequate standard of warmth, alongside energy use on water heating, lights and appliances and cooking.. Similar information is not available on actual spending.
	DECC compiles detailed information for England from the English House Condition Survey and takes headline data from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to produce a UK aggregated estimate. Detailed data for Wales and Scotland are the responsibility of the respective devolved Administrations and are best obtained direct from them.
	The latest fuel poverty data for England are for 2007 and show the following modelled bills, income and SAP ratings:
	
		
			   Number of households (thousand)  Average income (£)  Average modelled fuel bill (£)  Average SAP 
			 Up to and including 5 per cent. 11,008 38,610 1,080 53.3 
			 5-10 per cent. 7,553 16,990 1,140 48.8 
			 10-15 per cent. 1,804 10,860 1,290 41.9 
			 15-20 per cent. 515 8,480 1,440 35.9 
			 Over 20 per cent. 500 5,130 1,570 34.5 
			 All households 21,380 27,130 1,140 49.9

Fuel Poverty: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in Westmorland and Lonsdale.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were around 8,800 fuel poor households in the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Fuel Poverty: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of households in Leeds North West constituency are classified as living in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2006, and shows that there were 11.6 per cent. of households in the Leeds, North-West constituency that were classified as living in fuel poverty.

Fuel Poverty: Pensioners

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of pensioner households in fuel poverty.

David Kidney: holding answer 4 February 2010
	The Government have a strong package of measures to help reduce fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households which includes pensioners. This is centred on tackling the three root causes of fuel poverty:
	Reducing the demand for energy by improving home energy efficiency through schemes such as Warm Front, Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, Community Energy Saving Programme and the Decent Homes Standard;
	Putting in place and continuously looking to improve a regulatory framework that promotes competition as the main driver to ensure downward pressure on prices for consumers, and to improve license conditions and strengthen Ofgem's powers through the Energy Bill; and
	Raising real incomes, including through Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments alongside the wider tax and benefit system and through Benefit Entitlement Checks under the Warm Front Scheme.
	We have also introduced legislation to implement mandated social price support schemes once the current voluntary agreement with suppliers comes to an end in 2011. These schemes will provide more of the most vulnerable consumers with help towards their energy costs. We have said that we are minded to focus the majority of the additional resources on older pensioner households on the lowest incomes as these households tend to have a high incidence of fuel poverty - over 50 per cent. of fuel poor households have a person over 60 living in them; their circumstances are relatively stable; and they are at the greatest risk of excess winter deaths.
	Through our fuel poverty review we will continue to build and strengthen the evidence base on fuel poverty and explore better ways of targeting help at the most vulnerable fuel poor households.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Billericay's letter of 11 January 2010 on energy tariffs.

David Kidney: holding answer 2 February 2010
	The letter from the hon. Member was received by the Department on 13 January 2010. A reply was drafted by officials, signed by Lord Hunt and was sent out on 5 February 2010. This is within agreed Whitehall targets.
	 Letter from The right hon. Lord Hunt of King's Heath OBE, dated 5 February 2010:
	Thank you for your letter of 11 January to Ed Miliband, about the provision of information on energy customers' bills. I am replying as this matter falls within my portfolio.
	I think we can both agree that the provision of clear and comparable information on energy bills is crucial for consumers, to enable them to engage fully with, and understand, the range of products available to them - so I am very happy to provide the clarifications you seek.
	The issue of the provision of information on bills was addressed in the Probe into energy markets conducted by Ofgem and the remedies that resulted from it. We have therefore referred the questions you raise on this issue to Ofgem, which has advised that the Licence conditions to which you refer have been agreed following extensive consultation and input from consumer stakeholder groups. Ofgem issued its final direction on 19 October 2009.
	This is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx? docid=234refer=Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro
	It also published a timetable for when these new rules were due to come into force and this is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Implementation%20of%20the%20Energy% 20Supply%20Probe%20 Retail%20Markets.pdf
	With regard to the rules governing the comparison of a customer's tariff with the supplier's standard direct debit tariff, Ofgem advises that Licence condition 31A.4 states that the Licensee must provide every domestic customer, once in every 12 month period, with the domestic customer's exact tariff name (31 A.4 (a)) and with details of any premium or discount that applies to the domestic customer's tariff as compared to the electricity supplier's standard tariff where payment is by direct debit (31 A.4 (c)). There is, therefore, an obligation for suppliers to provide domestic customers with a comparison of their tariff against another actual tariff. This Licence condition is enforceable under Ofgem's current powers.
	However, domestic customers will be provided with a reminder, in a prominent position, that they may change their supplier, and with information about where they may obtain impartial advice and information about switching. In addition, customers can identify if they can access a cheaper standard tariff as the comparison with the supplier's standard direct debit tariff will be shown along with details of any premium or discount that currently applies to the customer's existing tariff. This information will show the extra amount the customer is paying (compared to the standard direct debit tariff) due to premium products such as a green tariff or, for example, due to their chosen payment method.
	I think it is important to reiterate that Ofgem has consulted widely on its proposals to improve customer information and has received views from a range of organisations, including consumer groups and I support the changes it is introducing.
	Consumer Focus has an important role to play in overseeing the switching and price comparison websites. We welcome its recent public consultation, which has just closed, on the Confidence Code - a voluntary code of practice for domestic gas and electricity price comparison. This consultation considered, among other things, an extension of the code to include telesales activity. We await its considered view on the responses to it in due course.
	I also expect Ofgem to continue to work with energy suppliers, consumers and consumer representatives to ensure consumers have the information they need. In its monitoring of the effectiveness of these rules we will expect Ofgem to review whether these changes have proved sufficient to help consumers understand their energy bills and are able to make informed choices based on the information available to them.
	I welcome your continued engagement on this important issue and I hope this information is helpful.

Newspaper Licensing Agency

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies made to the Newspaper Licensing Agency in each year since his Department was established.

Joan Ruddock: DECC has made payments of £87,342.18 to the Newspaper Licensing Agency since the Department was established. This includes our current licence which is valid to 9 December 2010.
	DECC has no agencies.

Nuclear Power Stations: Coastal Areas

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the cost of defending Britain's nuclear sites from the effects of coastal erosion in the next 160 years.

David Kidney: The Department has not made any such estimates. As with other external hazards, ensuring that nuclear sites are protected against flooding and coastal erosion is the responsibility of the site operator, subject to regulatory oversight by the HSE working alongside the Environment Agency in England and Wales. These regulators require the operators to demonstrate and cover the cost of appropriate levels of protection against such hazards throughout the lifetime of the site, including the decommissioning phase.
	DEFRA has promoted Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) that assess the risks of coastal erosion and tidal flooding for the whole coast of England and Wales, for the next 100 years. SMPs are prepared jointly by the relevant operating authorities using the latest coastal monitoring information. This includes the condition of all existing defences, including those constructed to protect nuclear sites. These plans consider the evidence on climate change, as well as other relevant data and research. They account for the impact of coastal processes on the whole coast including coastal communities and should be used by planning authorities where they need to take planning decisions on the coast.
	A review of Shoreline Management Plans is currently under way and will be complete by the end of the year. SMPs are publicly available and include a minimum three-month public and stakeholder consultation period.

Nuclear Power Stations: Planning Permission

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account the Infrastructure Planning Commission will take of the  (a) method and  (b) siting of nuclear waste storage when deciding on planning applications for nuclear power stations.

David Kidney: Radioactive waste interim storage facilities located on site at new nuclear power stations are covered in the Draft National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation (EN-6) (see page 24).
	http://data.energynpsconsultation.decc.gov.uk/documents/npss/EN-6.pdf
	When considering planning applications the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) will be able to seek the views of the independent safety, security and environmental nuclear regulators, on both the method of storage and the siting of the storage facilities. The IPC will need to be satisfied that the necessary regulatory licence, authorisation or permit can or is likely to be issued in due course. The IPC will also be able to consider the views of other interested parties during the planning application process.
	The Draft National Policy Statement is currently being consulted on. The Government will further consider what advice the IPC requires in the light of responses to the public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.

Trees

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the average cost of planting a tree as part of a carbon offset programme.

Joan Ruddock: The Government have developed a quality assurance scheme (QAS) for carbon offsetting. This covers regulated credits, which could include UN-accredited forestry projects outside of the UK. Offsets under the QAS are sold by independent companies from a range of UN-accredited projects and current prices range from around £15 to £18 per tonne of carbon dioxide depending on the supplier.
	The independent Read report (Combating Climate change: a Role for UK Forests), the first report of the Committee on Climate Change and the Government's UK Low Carbon Transition Plan 2007 each concluded that woodland creation is a cost-effective measure, providing abatement at a cost of £20 to £40 per tonne carbon dioxide. This includes among other costs, the cost of tree planting.

Wind Power

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total output was of the UK's wind turbines connected to the national grid as a percentage of their load factor in each week in January 2010.

David Kidney: Load factors are defined as the average hourly quantity of electricity supplied during the year, expressed as a percentage of the average output capability at the beginning and end of the year. As such, these are only calculated on an annual basis, with the latest data for 2008 showing 29.4 per cent. for onshore wind and 34.9 per cent. for offshore wind.
	However, an indication of the weekly load factor can be obtained by calculating total operational wind generation as a percentage of the theoretical maximum generation for all operationally metered wind plants. These data are made available by national grid and refer only to wind which is operationally metered i.e. around half of the onshore wind farms and none of the offshore wind farms. These data are given in the following table. Where this figure exceeds the load factor for onshore wind, given above, the plants are operating at above average levels.
	
		
			  Electricity supplied by wind during January 2010 
			  Week commencing  Operationally metered wind generation (MWh)  Percentage of operationally metered wind generation relative to theoretical maximum operationally metered supply 
			 1 January 2010 51,535 20 
			 8 January 2010 90,839 35 
			 15 January 2010 114,923 44 
			 22 January 2010 61,164 23

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burundi: Politics and Government

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the attempted coup to overthrow President Ndayizeye of Burundi; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the coup attempt on the July 2010 elections.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 5 February 2010
	We have received reports that 13 soldiers of the Burundian armed forces were arrested on 29 January 2010 on charges of planning to destabilise the state. There has been no concrete coup attempt, and there is no reason to believe that this incident will affect preparations for the forthcoming elections.

Burundi: Politics and Government

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the EU plans to send an observer mission to the 2010 elections in Burundi; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 5 February 2010
	The elections in Burundi this year remain a top priority for the UK and will mark an important step in further institutionalising the democratic process in Burundi. The presence of an EU Election Observer Mission (EU EOM) would constitute a significant part of this process.
	The UK discusses the issue regularly with the European Commission and supports proposals for an EU EOM to Burundi. While the European Commission seeks the views of member states on a proposed priority list of countries for EU EOMs, it ultimately falls to the European Commission themselves to decide where these will be deployed. Similarly, the terms and resourcing for any EU EOM are also ultimately a decision for the European Commission.

Conflict Resolution: Females

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent officials in his Department work on the  (a) central coordination of activities on and  (b) monitoring of the impact of activities undertaken pursuant to the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Ivan Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 21 January 2010,  Official Report, column 489W.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on proposals for the unification of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The two leaders have the Government's full support in their determination to achieve a Cyprus settlement for the benefit of all Cypriots and we welcome the recent intensification of talks. Both Cypriot leaders made separate visits to the UK last autumn and held talks with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has also recently discussed the Cyprus problem in separate telephone conversations with the two leaders, the Turkish Prime Minister and the Greek Prime Minister. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary recently discussed the ongoing negotiations with both the UN and the Turkish Foreign Minister, in addition to meeting both leaders and the Greek Prime Minister in the autumn. I visited the island in November 2009 and met with all key figures involved in the process. I also raised the settlement talks with my Turkish counterpart, Egeman Bagis, during a recent visit to Istanbul. I have had constant discussions and informal meetings with politicians and leaders of both communities in Cyprus and with both communities' representatives in the UK.

Departmental Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the  (a) potential annual rental and  (b) total book value of the (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department.

Chris Bryant: This information is not held centrally and is available at only disproportionate cost.

Haiti

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development in relation to Haiti in January 2010.

Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development are in regular contact in relation to Haiti.

Ivory Coast: Hazardous Substances

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire on the disbursement of the compensation paid by Trafigura in respect of the toxic waste dumped by that company; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have made clear to Ivorian Government officials the importance we attach to the claimants receiving the compensation due to them. We welcome both the decision, on 28 January 2010, by the President of the Supreme Court in Abidjan to grant a stay on the transfer of the compensation monies and President Gbagbo's personal interest in this case.
	Although we cannot interfere in the Ivorian Court process, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in Accra and Abidjan continue to monitor the case and stress the importance that the victims/claimants receive the monies that are due to them at every available opportunity.

Nigeria

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to provide assistance to the gubernatorial elections in Anambra, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The UK is not providing direct assistance to gubernatorial elections in Anambra on 6 February 2010, but is, through the Department for International Development (DFID), supporting civil society involved in election-monitoring and voter education in the state, and is also helping to build the capacity of the local media in order to encourage objective reporting of the elections.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary joined US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU High Representative Baroness Ashton in expressing hope that the election in Anambra will be a milestone in Nigeria's journey towards electoral reform and a signal of Nigeria's commitment to the principles of democracy.
	The UK is also working hard to encourage transparent elections in Nigeria, and to improve democratic governance more broadly, including through the DFID's Deepening Democracy in Nigeria and Democratic Governance for Development programmes, funded in partnership with the European Commission, Canadian International Development Agency and UN Development Programme.

Nigeria

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has made representations to the Nigerian government on the violence in Jos, Nigeria in January 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what reports he has received on the number of people displaced following the outbreak of violence in Jos, Nigeria in January 2010; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in Jos, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with members of  (a) the Commonwealth,  (b) the Economic Community of West African States and  (c) the African Union on violence in the Nigerian city of Jos in January 2010 on preventing the recurrence of such violence; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We are deeply saddened by the recent violence in Jos, Nigeria, where media reports suggest that over 550 people have died. It is not yet clear how many people have been displaced by these tragic events. We understand that the security situation has calmed and stabilised following the deployment of additional security forces by Vice-President Jonathan.
	Our high commissioner in Abuja regularly discussed the situation in Jos with both the federal and state governments. He has consistently raised concerns about loss of life, and urged all sides to work together to achieve peaceful reconciliation. On 29 January my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU High Representative Baroness Ashton in which they called on the Government of Nigeria to ensure those responsible for crimes in Jos face justice, and all parties work towards a long-term solution to inter-communal conflict. My noble Friend the Minister of State for Africa also expressed her condolences for those who had lost their lives when she met the Nigerian Foreign Minister in the UK on 20 January 2010. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct discussions on Jos with the Nigerian Government, members of the Commonwealth, the Economic Community of West African States or the African Union.

Public Holidays

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: This information would be available only at disproportionate cost. The salary cost of work foregone in the UK will depend on the number of staff who are employed on the date of the holiday and their pay costs. Staff at Posts overseas take holidays at the discretion of the Head of Post, taking into account local conditions and law. It might be the case in some locations that an additional UK public holiday would be substituted for one of the existing local holidays so the total number of public holidays taken would remain the same.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Sri Lankan Election Commissioner announced on 27 January 2010 that President Rajapakse had won the presidential election with a clear majority. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to the President encouraging him to use his new mandate to work towards a fully inclusive political solution which addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. It remains our view that this is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. Genuine reconciliation between Sri Lanka's communities will depend in a large part on the Government promoting and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans.
	We welcome the fact that election day was largely peaceful. However in his letter to the President the Prime Minister urged the authorities to ensure that investigations are carried out into the reported violations of election law during the election campaign, including the numerous incidents of violence, and to take measures to prevent electoral violations in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. We are also pressing the Government to ensure the safety and security of all candidates and their supporters and to protect media freedoms.
	EU High Representative Baroness Ashton released a statement on the election, available at the following link:
	http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/100129_ Sri_Lanka.pdf

Sudan

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he  (a) last visited and  (b) next plans to visit Sudan.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last visited Sudan on 8-9 July 2008. The most recent visit by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister was by my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock on 10-13 January this year. For security and operational reasons, we do not announce visits by the Foreign Secretary significantly in advance.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Day Care

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what criteria the 250,000 nursery places for two-year olds which the Prime Minister announced on 29 September 2009 will be allocated.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 25 November 2009
	We are committed to rolling out a free entitlement to two-year-olds, stage by stage. By the end of March 2010 it is expected some 20,000 two-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will have access to a free early learning and child care place each year.
	We will continue to make progress on the long-term ambition that the Prime Minister has set out to provide free part-time nursery places for all two-year-olds whose parents want them.
	Decisions regarding the pace of future rollout will need to be taken in the light of wider fiscal considerations as part of the next spending review.

Children's Centres: Eltham

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many parents he estimates have participated in the introduction of children's centres in Eltham constituency;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect on parents in Eltham constituency of the introduction of children's centres; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Greenwich local authority is responsible for Sure Start children's centres across its area and will assess local impact on young children and families. National research shows there is a positive Sure Start effect. The National Evaluation of Sure Start (2008) clearly shows that children behave better and are more independent if they live in Sure Start areas. Parents have more positive parenting skills to provide a better home learning environment for their children, helping prepare children to do well at school and make the most of their talents.
	Sure Start children's centres are a universal service for all families with children under five. It is important that families, no matter what their situation, can benefit from better integrated, accessible services. The TNS survey of parents, published in 2009, showed that use of children's centres was widespread and that no sub-groups are being excluded from or failing to access centres. The report also shared that 78 per cent. of all respondents knew about their local centre; 74 per cent. were familiar with the term 'children centre'; and levels of satisfaction were very high with 92 per cent. of all users saying they were satisfied (68 per cent. were very satisfied).

Children's Commissioner for England

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract of the new Children's Commissioner.

Dawn Primarolo: The Children's Commissioner's letter of appointment and terms and conditions contains personal data so it is exempt from disclosure under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act concerning personal data within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998 and so will not be placed in the Library. However, the functions and duties of the Children's Commissioner are set out in section 1 to 9 and schedule 1 of the Children Act 2004. The terms and conditions are subject to provisions of paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of the Children Act 2004.

Children's Rights Director of England

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the salary is of the Children's Rights Director of England; how many people are employed in his office; and what the total annual cost to the public purse is of running his office.

Vernon Coaker: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Libraries.

Family Proceedings

Hilary Armstrong: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the likely effects on children of the changes to the rules on reporting sensitive personal information in family courts under the proposals in the Children, Schools and Families Bill.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 25 January 2010
	Protecting the welfare of children is our paramount concern. The proposals in the Bill are carefully drafted to ensure that sensitive personal information remains confidential. In addition, the measures in the Bill propose to strengthen the current position and give indefinite anonymity to children involved in family proceedings.
	The current proposals before Parliament make clear that treatment of sensitive personal information can be altered only once the Lord Chancellor has carried out a full and comprehensive review of the operation of the provisions including their impact on children.

Independent Safeguarding Authority Partnership Network

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2010,  Official Report, column 598W, on the Independent Safeguarding Authority, who the members of the Partnership Network are; what the remit of the Partnership Network is; who chairs the network; what its budget is for 2009-10; from which funding stream its expenditure is met; and on what dates the network has met since its creation.

Dawn Primarolo: Membership of the Partnership Network is set out in the Interim Progress Report and Work Programme 2009-10 of the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit, published 18 December 2009. This can be found at:
	http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction =productdetailsPageMode=publicationsProductID=DCSF- 01181-2009
	The network was created to help ensure that the work of the National Safeguarding Delivery Unit is firmly rooted in what is happening at the front line, and to act as a conduit between the Unit and individual partners to feed back on and pursue specific issues impacting on effective frontline safeguarding practice. It is not intended that the total Partnership Network consisting of nearly a 100 members would meet frequently.
	From time to time, small groups of Network members are asked to work with the Unit on specific pieces of work or join workshops to consider specific outputs the Unit is developing. It is also intended that the NSDU will consult Network members routinely on particular issues related to the improvement of safeguarding practice. To date, members have been invited to attend the launch of the final report of Social Work Taskforce on 1 December 2009, and selected members to attend a workshop on 4 November looking at three of the early NSDU projects.
	The Partnership Network does not have a dedicated budget.

Local Child Curfew Schemes: Suffolk

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many child curfew orders have been  (a) issued and  (b) breached in Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on the number of local child curfew orders is not collected centrally. The provisions creating local child curfew orders were repealed by the Police and Crime Act 2009.

Pre-school Education: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged  (a) three and  (b) four years old in Torbay constituency are in free nursery places.

Dawn Primarolo: The available figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1, 2 ) filled by three and four-year-olds( 3) . Parliamentary constituency: Torbay. Position in January 
			  2009  Number 
			 Three-year-olds 950 
			 Four-year-olds 1,100 
			 (1) A place is equal to 12.5 hours (five sessions) and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if over 1,000, and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Age of all children taken at 31 December 2008.  Source: Early Years Census and School Census 
		
	
	The Department publishes information on the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds. This is derived by counting children taking up 12 and a half hours per week as one place, 10 hours per week as 0.8 places, seven and a half hours per week as 0.6 places, five hours per week as 0.4 places and two and a half hours per week as 0.2 places.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many professional school counsellors there are in  (a) secondary and  (b) primary schools.

Dawn Primarolo: The school funding system provides a sum per pupil in a local authority for it to distribute for all its education responsibilities including schools. Once delegated to a school, it is for the school governors to decide upon the use of the delegated budget to meet the school's priorities, which may include purchasing the services of a counsellor. We do not collect information on the use of school funding in sufficient detail to capture information about which schools employ professional counsellors.
	However, we are committed to improving the emotional and mental health of children and young people and to help them develop social and emotional skills, improve self-esteem and self-control, enabling them to develop good relationships and to promote their resilience, so they can adapt to change and cope with difficult circumstances. We have developed a number of school-based approaches to support this, some of which may include the use of services such as counselling.
	Supporting the psychological well-being and mental health of pupils is a key component of whole school programmes such as the Healthy Schools programme and the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme. Such programmes are intended for pupils generally and may need to be supplemented by more specialist support for certain pupils.
	The Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme, funded by £60 million between 2008-11, builds on the successful social and emotional aspects of learning programme (SEAL) for those pupils who need additional support. Some of the schools involved in the programme have chosen to offer counselling-based approaches as part of their package therapeutic interventions to children at risk of developing mental health problems.
	In addition, the White Paper Your Child, Your Schools, Our Future, published in June 2009, stated as a pupil and parent guarantee that from September 2010 every young person in secondary school will have a personal tutor who knows them well, has an overview of their progress and ensures any learning needs or issues are quickly addressed.

Social Work Taskforce

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 13 January 2010,  Official Report, columns 1063-64W, on the Social Work Task Force, if he will place in the Library a copy of the draft of the final report provided on  (a) 13 October,  (b) 20 November and  (c) 27 November 2009.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not general practice for the Department for Children, Schools and Families to release draft versions of published reports. The final report of the Social Work Task Force was launched on the 1 December and is available here:
	http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction =productdetailsPageMode=publicationsProductId=DCSF- 01114-2009

Sports: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much his Department has spent on sports coaching in each of the last three years; and through which bodies such coaching was delivered.

Iain Wright: As part of the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People, the Department's spend on coaching over the last three years has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 3,992,000 
			 2008-09 7,175,000 
			 2009-10 9,196,500 
		
	
	This funding was paid to School Sport Partnerships who used it to employ sports coaches at a local level to help deliver high quality coaching provision in schools.

Sure Start Programme: Leeds

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many Sure Start places have been established in Leeds North East constituency since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: There are six designated Sure Start Children's Centres in the Leeds, North-East constituency, reaching over 5,560 children under five and their families. There are no more centres planned for the constituency. Reach defines those children and families with the opportunity to access children's centres. Figures for the number of people actually using children's centres are not collected centrally.

Vetting

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to page 5 of Sir Roger Singleton's report, Drawing the line, published in December 2009, when the Government's review of the continuing need for controlled activity will be complete.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, written ministerial statement of 14 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 50-53WS, about the publication of Sir Roger Singleton's report, Drawing the Line, on the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS), and the Government's response to Sir Roger's report, both of which are in the House Libraries.
	The Government's response to recommendation 9 of the report makes clear that the DCSF and the Department of Health will take forward the review of the continuing need for controlled activity together, in collaboration with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Government will launch this review shortly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol: Under-age Sales

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers were convicted of an offence of selling alcohol to under-age people in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: In 2008 there were 459 prosecutions leading to 366 convictions. During the same period 2,824 penalty notices for disorder were issued by the police.

Police: Local Authority Funding

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether local authorities have discretion to fund police officers in addition to those funded by police authorities.

David Hanson: Under the Police Act 1996 local authorities may make grants to any police authority whose police area falls geographically within the local authority area. Grants may be made unconditionally or, with the agreement of the chief officer, subject to conditions.
	Conditions could include that funding be spent on police officers.

UK Border Agency

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the merits of allowing regional offices of the UK Border Agency to accept further representations from asylum applicants who claimed asylum before March 2007.

Phil Woolas: In October we made important improvements to the security and efficiency of the asylum system by requiring applicants wishing to put in further submissions relating to their asylum claim to do so in person. Regional asylum teams were set up in 2007 to deal with newer asylum claims. Those teams are receiving further submissions in those newer cases but do not have the operational capacity to receive further submissions from all cases in the legacy caseload.
	However, we have established exceptional criteria for those unable to travel.

Stop and Search Powers

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of stop and search powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

David Hanson: The Home Office and police keep the effectiveness of section 44 under constant review. Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, also reviews the operation of section 44 and reports his findings to Parliament.
	We believe section 44 remains an important tool in countering the threat from terrorism.

Front-line Policing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects on front-line policing of reduced police numbers in certain forces.

David Hanson: The pre-Budget report announced that sufficient funding will be provided to allow police authorities to maintain numbers of police officers, police community support officers and other staff exercising police powers in the years to 2012-13.
	Our priority is to protect the front-line and maintain a focus on increasing public confidence in the police service and achieving improvements in value for money.

Immigration: Hub and Spoke System

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's use of the hub and spoke system for processing immigration applications.

Phil Woolas: The hub and spoke system has been rolled out gradually since June 2007. This model has enabled the UK Border Agency to improve the efficiency and consistency of its visa operation, building on its network of visa application centres, as well as increasing the security and integrity of our staff and improving customer service.

Antisocial Behaviour

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the regulation of the use of Mosquito devices; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: My Department has recently received two representations on the use of Mosquito devices. Our position on antisocial behaviour is that it should be tackled, not tolerated. We encourage local agencies to consider the full range of innovations and schemes and practices intended to reduce crime, the fear of crime and antisocial behaviour.

Asylum

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unsuccessful asylum seekers have given birth in the UK while awaiting immigration determination in each of the last five years; and of these how many have  (a) applied for section 4 hard case support and  (b) applied for section 4 support after the deadline of six weeks after birth and were subsequently refused payment.

Alan Johnson: The requested information on the number of applications for section 4 hard case support from unsuccessful asylum seekers who have given birth in the UK, is not collated and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost through examination of individual case records.

Asylum: Offenders

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers from each country of origin whose application for asylum in the UK had failed have been convicted of each category of a criminal offence in each year since 1998.

Alan Johnson: Identifying the number of failed asylum seekers who have been convicted of a criminal offence since 1998 would necessitate reviewing the individual case files of all failed asylum seekers. Not all offences would meet the deportation criteria and would thus not always be recorded in an easily retrievable format. Obtaining such data could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.
	The UK Border Agency removed or deported 3,890 foreign national offenders in the first-three quarters of 2009. Of those removed or deported, approximately one-third had, at some stage prior to their removal, submitted a claim for asylum.

Crimes of Violence

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use his Department makes of health service data in estimating trends in the level of crime involving injury.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 4 February 2010
	Hospital admissions data for assault is published on a regular basis.
	A key objective of Phase II of the Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Action Programme (TKAP) is to ensure that key hospitals are sharing data on injuries resulting from serious violence with local Police and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. The Department of Health's £200,000 'Innovation Fund' is supporting the development of new and existing AE data sharing in 13 NHS Trusts across England and we have set a target of 100 hospitals sharing data across England and Wales by March 2010.
	In addition to the work of TKAP, the Home Office Alcohol Strategy Unit (ASU) also utilises hospital admissions data in assessing levels of violence related to the Night Time Economy and in defining priority areas for profiling and support. It is also involved in the data sharing programme with AE and is currently preparing a national training programme for CDRP analysts on obtaining and fully utilising AE data which will contribute to the above work.

Cybercrime

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent assessment is of the level of threat to cyber security in the UK.

David Hanson: The first annual update of the UK's National Security Strategy 'Security for the Next Generation', published in June 2009, provides a general assessment of the full range of threats to national security that the UK faces including those relating to cyber security. The UK's first Cyber Security Strategy, published at the same time, gives further outline of evolving threats and sets out a framework for addressing the challenges of cyber security.
	Threat assessments are regularly carried out in response to the range of threat actors but details of these are not disclosed into the public domain.

Cybercrime: Financial Services

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports of cyber attacks or misuse of the data and information systems of UK-based banks and financial services companies there were in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: Any organisation or individual that believes that they have been the subject of such attacks or interference on their computer should report the matter to the police, who can then investigate the complaint.
	Cyber attacks, misuse of data and information systems are general terms. Specific offences, as defined in law, would be classified under the appropriate section of Computer Misuse Act 1990 dependent upon the circumstances of the individual offences. Such offences would then be recorded under Home Office classification 53B 'Preserved other fraud and repealed fraud offences (Pre Fraud Act 2006)'. Offences recorded under individual sections of the Computer Misuse Act cannot be separately identified from the other offences recorded within this offence classification.

Departmental Consultants

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much consultants employed by his Department and its agencies have been paid  (a) in total and  (b) in reimbursable expenses in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Woolas: Information on the Home Department's, including United Kingdom Border Agency and Identity and Passport Service agencies, total consultancy expenditure from 2005-06 and as a percentage of the total Department's spend on goods and services is as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Financial year  Expenditure on consultancy services (£ million)  Total expenditure on goods and services (£ million)  Consultancy spend as a percentage of total spend 
			 2005-06 139 1,535 9.1 
			 2006-07 148 1,678 8.8 
			 2007-08 96 1,544 6.2 
			 2008-09 140 1,748 8.0 
			 2009-10 (1)62 1,064 5.8 
			 (1) First six months of the financial year: provisional figure. 
		
	
	To provide information on consultancy spend prior to 2005-06 would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information on reimbursable expenses paid to consultants in each of the last 10 years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2010,  Official Report, column 1091W, on deportation, how many charter flights removing people with no right to remain there were in 2008-09; and how many people were removed from the UK upon such flights.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 20 January 2010
	In the financial year April 2008 to April 2009 there were 67 charter flights removing people with no right to remain in the UK, with 1,658 individuals removed.
	These figures do not constitute part of National Statistics as they are based on internal management information. The information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional and subject to change.
	The Home Office publishes statistics on the number of persons who were removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis. Annual statistics for 2008 and the latest statistics for Quarter three 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Deportation: Haiti

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any citizens of Haiti in the UK are subject to deportation proceedings.

Alan Johnson: There are currently no Haitian nationals subject to deportation proceedings in the UK and no planned removals to Haiti. The UK Border Agency continues to keep the situation under close review. Any individual cases that do arise will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, taking into account any compassionate circumstances.

DNA: Databases

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people with records on the National DNA Database entered after a suspected offence for which they were not prosecuted were subsequently convicted of the same offence in the latest period for which figures are available.

Alan Campbell: The purpose of the National DNA Database (NDNAD) is to match DNA profiles derived from traces found at crime scenes with profiles taken from known individuals, and to pass reports of matches to the police for further investigation. The NDNAD does not hold information on the development of police investigations, or on whether individuals with profiles on it are or are not convicted. The information requested is therefore not available.

Dogs: Walsall

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received representations on the raid by police on Rosedene Boarding Kennels, Radley Road, Walsall.

David Hanson: I have received no such representations.

Firearms

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on controlling the sale of  (a) firearms and  (b) air weapons; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 5 February 2010
	Businesses wishing to sell firearms, including air weapons, must register as dealers with the police, who must be satisfied that there will be no risk to public safety. Dealers must keep records of transactions and can only sell to someone permitted to purchase the type of firearm concerned. Prohibited weapons can be sold only with the authority of the Secretary of State.

Forced Marriage

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether he has plans to increase the level of funding allocated to the Forced Marriage Unit for expenditure on services provided by the third sector;
	(2)  by what mechanisms the outcomes achieved by third sector organisations funding by the Forced Marriage Unit are evaluated;
	(3)  what the procedure is for  (a) bidding for Forced Marriage Unit funding and  (b) assessing such bids.

Alan Campbell: The joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) was set up in 2005 and initially provided ad hoc funding to initiatives run by the third sector. To give this support more structure, the FMU piloted a domestic programme fund of £65,000 in 2008-09. This was aimed specifically at funding third sector projects which help deliver the Unit's published Action Plan. For 2009-10 the initiative was continued and the fund increased to £84,000. Funding allocations for the FMU in 2010-11 have not yet been set. It is important to remember that Government funding for third sector activity to help tackle forced marriage is not only available via the FMU, for example funding can also be sought from Government Offices.
	For financial year 2009-10, applications for funding from the FMU Domestic Programme Fund were invited via the FCO website from June 2009. Bids were submitted using a standardised application form which was publicly available. Bids were assessed against a common set of criteria including value for money, likely impact, support to the objectives laid out in the FMU Action Plan, and a clear and measurable reporting process to ensure transparency and accountability. The fund is designed to fund small projects rather than core funding to organisations. Organisations that had previously received funding were only eligible to bid for further funding where they were up to date on reporting to the FMU. Project implementers were required to be from the voluntary sector. Partnership with local government was strongly encouraged but applications solely from local government organisations were not considered. Applications were then assessed by a panel including FMU staff.
	Organisations funded by the FMU are required to submit reports on activities undertaken as well as on monies spent to demonstrate achievements set against the agreed project objectives and value for money. The frequency of reports will depend on the duration of the project. All projects are required to submit final outcome and financial reports upon completion. Reports are evaluated by FMU staff. Where needed, staff will ask for supplementary information. In addition, where reports clearly identify national learning this information is considered and shared with other stakeholders where appropriate.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the referrals of victims of trafficking to the UK Trafficking Centre made between 1 April and 31 December 2009 were of individuals who entered the UK  (a) legally and  (b) illegally.

Alan Campbell: It is not possible to identify whether someone has entered the UK legally or illegally from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics.
	The NRM identifies victims of serious crime and is not a process for recording immigration status. The mode of entry of a potential victim of trafficking into the UK is one of a number of factors assessed by a Competent Authority but it is not held on a central record for statistical purposes.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) prosecutions and  (b) convictions there have been for offences relating to the trafficking of people for the purposes of domestic servitude.

Alan Campbell: There have been no prosecutions to date for trafficking for domestic servitude under section 4 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants etc) Act 2004.

Hunting: Enforcement

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to ensure compliance with legislation on hunting with hounds.

David Hanson: The Government are clear that the Hunting Act must be complied with as we cannot pick and choose which laws we obey in a democratic society. Ministers have been in regular contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers who have stated their commitment to enforcing the hunting legislation.

Identity Cards: Greater London

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the likely level of take-up of national identity cards by people aged 16 to 24 years and resident in London from 8 February 2010.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 2 February 2010
	We have made no estimates of the likely take up of national identity cards by people aged 16 to 24 years and resident in London.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reply to the letter of 10 December 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Safina Hussain.

Alan Johnson: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 4 February 2010.

National Identity Register: Scotland

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many record checks have been made against the National Identity Register by  (a) the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency and  (b) other Scottish agencies since the introduction of the scheme.

Meg Hillier: Since the launch of the National Identity Service for British citizens in November 2009, there have yet to be any requests for provision of information from the register to the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency or to any other Scottish agencies.

North Yorkshire Police: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from North Yorkshire Police on its budget allocation for 2010-11.

David Hanson: None.

Passports: Interviews

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many interviews at passport centres resulted in the refusal of a passport in 2009.

Meg Hillier: There were two passport applications refused in 2009 as a direct result of personal interviews.
	Identity interviews were added to the passport process primarily to address first time application fraud through deterrence and fraud detection arising from a personal interview. In addition to the two instances of confirmed fraud applications have also been withdrawn when customers are advised that an identity interview is required. From September 2007 to June 2009 which is the latest information available, 1,816 applications were withdrawn at this stage. Together this information underlines the usefulness of the interview as a deterrent to those attempting to make a fraudulent passport application.

Police

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department provides guidance to the police on numbers of officers attending raids on premises.

David Hanson: While there is no guidance specific to the number of police officers attending raids, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Manual of Guidance on Keeping the Peace assists the police in preparing for and managing events where there is a risk to public safety or a potential for disorder. Specifically the Conflict Management Model states the commanding police officer should have regard to:
	Available information/intelligence;
	Threat assessment;
	Requirement to use powers and policy appropriately and lawfully in compliance with, national, regional and local legislation and guidance;
	Tactical options;
	Requirement to act in compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Police: Assessments

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of police officers have failed work-based assessments in the pilot areas for such assessments.

David Hanson: Work-based assessment is the final step of the four step National Police Promotion Framework which is currently being trialled in 10 police forces. It allows police officers who are temporarily promoted to be developed and assessed in the workplace before being substantively promoted. After assessments of competence and legal knowledge, police forces can use their own assessment methods to select the most suitable police officers to undertake work-based assessment of national occupational standards. This process gives police forces the flexibility to manage the number of successful police officers in accordance with local operational and workforce planning objectives.
	 National Police Promotion Framework Steps
	Step One: Suitability. Police officers are eligible to enter the promotion process once they have established their competence in their current rank. Candidates must be endorsed as suitable for promotion by their Line Manager.
	Step Two: Legal Examination. This is established through taking the OSPRE(r) Part I Legal Examination, which is a national paper based multiple choice examination.
	Step Three: Assessment against rank specific competencies and matching to vacancies. Police officers' potential to perform at the next rank is assessed against the relevant behavioural competencies.
	Step Four: Temporary Promotion and Work Based Assessment. Police officers demonstrate competence in the rank to which they aspire and are supported over a 12 month period in order to ready them for substantial promotion.
	Pass and failure rates since l April 2009 for each of the steps are set out in the table below. These do not refer to discrete cohorts of candidates but to the number of assessments within the time period.
	
		
			  National police promotion framework sergeants' process 
			   Step 1  Step 2( 1)  Step 3  Step 4 
			 Total number completing a step 4,104 0 1,092 380 
			 Total number successful 4,104 0 574 375 
			 Total percentage successful 100 0 52.6 98.7 
			 Total number unsuccessful 0 0 518 5 
			 Total percentage unsuccessful 0  47 1 
			 (1) Data for Step Two as Sergeants OSPRE(r) . Part 1 examination takes place once a year in March, therefore falls outside of the time period quoted 
		
	
	
		
			  National police promotion framework inspectors' process 
			   Step 1  Step 2  Step 3  Step 4 
			 Total number completing a step 1,402 1,165 72 157 
			 Total number successful 1,402 600 44 156 
			 Total percentage successful 100 51.5 61.1 99.4 
			 Total number unsuccessful 0 565 28 1 
			 Total percentage unsuccessful 0 48.5 38.9 0.6

Police: Assessments

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects on the workload of police sergeants and inspectors in the pilot areas for work-based assessments of those assessments; and what the cost to the police has been of implementing and managing those assessments.

David Hanson: Police officers are assessed in line with the Qualifications and Credit Framework National Vocational Qualification Code of Practice. Police forces are registered with awarding bodies who ensure compliance with their assessment strategy.
	The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) is collecting data from the 10 police forces involved in the National Police Promotion Framework Trial. These data incorporate an element of work-based assessment, on police force costs and the resource implications for police officers. This will form part of the evaluation of the trial and will be considered by the Police Promotion Examinations Board, which is made up of all of the main policing stakeholders.
	The data are currently unavailable, they will be available only at the end of the trial period, which is anticipated to be spring 2011.

Police: Assessments

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the pilots work-based assessments for the police; and whether he has plans to implement work-based assessments outside the pilot areas.

David Hanson: The National Policing Improvement Agency has been working with the National Police Promotion Framework Trial Project Board to drive forward improvements over the trial period. There has been progress on implementing national standards through the licensing system and a comprehensive equality impact assessment has been published The development of a new National Occupational Standards and a new Strategic User Group has been established.
	The two year National Police Promotion Framework Trial, which incorporates an element of work-based assessment, is due for completion in March 2011. There are currently no plans to roll this out to other police forces before an evaluation has been completed.

Police: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers per 100,000 of population there are in  (a) Northamptonshire and  (b) England.

David Hanson: I refer the hon. Member for Wellingborough to my previous answer on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 632.
	As at 31 March 2009, there were 196 police officers per 100,000 population in Northamptonshire and 266 police officers per 100,000 population in England and Wales.
	This and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.

Stress

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice issued to staff of his Department on stress recognition and management.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office and its agencies are committed to protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff, and recognise the importance of managing risk factors in the workplace. The policy for Home Office HQ, UKBA and IPS on stress recognition and management is published in Home Office Notice 41/2007; a similar policy exists in CRB. The HSE were consulted during the creation of this policy which is based on the HSE Management Standards. A copy of the policy documents will be placed in the Library.
	Additional advice and support is also made available to staff via the Home Office intranet, stress awareness sessions, Occupational Health Service and our Employee Assistance Programme.

Sussex Police: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) police officers there were in each year since 1997 and  (b) police community support officers there were in each year since 2002 in Sussex Police.

David Hanson: The available data are provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Police officer strength in Sussex, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2009, and September 2009 
			  Police officers  Full-time equivalent( 1) 
			 1997 3,085 
			 1998 2,996 
			 1999 2,847 
			 2000 2,822 
			 2001 2,855 
			 2002 2,893 
			 2003(2) 2,989 
			 2004(2) 3,039 
			 2005(2) 3,044 
			 2006(2) 3,092 
			 2007(2) 3,077 
			 2008(2) 3,032 
			 2009(2) 3,163 
			 September 2009 3,201 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures). (2) Comparable strength (excludes those on career breaks, or maternity/paternity leave). The Police Numbers Task Force (2001) recommended that a clear presentation was made of the numbers of staff employed by police forces including those seconded into the force and those on any type of long or short-term absence. These new calculations were first used in 2003, and are not comparable with data prior to March 2003. The data from 2003 onwards used here are termed comparable because they have been calculated on the old basis to allow comparison. 
		
	
	
		
			  PCSO strength in Sussex, as at 31 March, 2002 - 09 
			  PCSO  Full-time equivalent( 1) 
			 2002 n/a 
			 2003 22 
			 2004 83 
			 2005 228 
			 2006 257 
			 2007 352 
			 2008 372 
			 2009 399 
			 September 2009 396 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.  Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 2. Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03. 
		
	
	These and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.

Vetting: Compensation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been paid in compensation to people for slow processing of Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) makes financial awards to redress customers for its maladministration in accordance with Treasury policy. It calculates each award on the merit of the claim. Awards range from small consolatory payments for inconvenience, to larger sums representing actual loss. The CRB does not maintain separate statistics which distinguish delay from the other elements which merit an award.

Vetting: Fees and Charges

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been paid to the  (a) Criminal Records Bureau and  (b) Independent Safeguarding Authority in fees for record checks in each of last 10 years.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 11 January 2010
	 The following table shows the fees collected by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in each of the last seven years since its establishment in 2002.
	The fee for the Vetting and Barring Scheme registration is collected on behalf of the Independent Safeguarding Authority by the CRB at the point of registration. From July 2010 those employed to work with children or vulnerable adults will be required to apply for ISA registration which will incur a one-off fee of £64 (£58 in Northern Ireland) which will be payable to the Criminal Records Bureau. The Independent Safeguarding Authority has not received any fees for record checks.
	
		
			  Disclosure income-per CRB published accounts 
			   Income (£ million) 
			 2008-09 114.5 
			 2007-08 97.8 
			 2006-07 93.2 
			 2005-06 75.9 
			 2004-05 65.2 
			 2003-04 50.9 
			 2002-03 18.3

West Yorkshire Police: Ethnic Groups

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of police officers from each ethnic group there were in the West Yorkshire police force area in each year since 2005.

David Hanson: The available data can be seen in the following tables.
	These and other related data are published annually as a supplementary part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
	and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
	
		
			  Police officer strength in West Yorkshire by ethnicity, as at 31 March, 2005 to 2009( 1) 
			  Number/percentage 
			   White  Mixed  Black or Black British  Asian or Asian British 
			   Number  Proportion  Number  Proportion  Number  Proportion  Number  Proportion 
			 2005 5,427 95.7 46 0.8 43 0.8 120 2.1 
			 2006 5,439 95.7 47 0.8 41 0.7 126 2.2 
			 2007 5,465 95.7 46 0.8 43 0.7 134 2.3 
			 2008 5,563 95.5 47 0.8 42 0.7 139 2.4 
			 2009 5,572 95.2 53 0.9 43 0.7 151 2.6 
		
	
	
		
			  Number/Percentage 
			   Other ethnic group  Not stated  
			   Number  Proportion  Number  Proportion  Total 
			 2005 12 0.2 24 0.4 5,671 
			 2006 13 0.2 19 0.3 5,685 
			 2007 15 0.3 11 0.2 5,713 
			 2008 17 0.3 14 0.2 5,822 
			 2009 19 0.3 16 0.3 5,854 
			 (1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items. Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

TREASURY

Banks: International Cooperation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications of discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos for the regulation of the banking system.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The success of the global economy is underpinned by the strength and resilience of the financial sector. The UK has, since the start of the crisis, been at the forefront of EU and international efforts to advocate more collective and consistent actions to deliver reform of financial regulation. But we must avoid complacency as economic recovery resumes.
	Therefore, all G20 members must, in 2010, prioritise progress in fulfilling the ambitious financial regulation reform commitments already agreed last year, specifically in areas such as strengthening prudential standards, dealing with systemic cross-border firms, and implementing measures to curb excessive risk-taking by firms.

Billing: Enforcement

Ian Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines have been imposed on small and medium-sized companies for late payment of value added tax in the last  (a) six and  (b) 12 months.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued the following number of VAT default surcharges in the last six- and 12-month periods for which information is available:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 August 2009 to 31 January 2010 276,141 
			 1 February 2009 to 31 January 2010 537,077 
		
	
	Information is not readily available on VAT default surcharges issued to businesses of different size and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Blaydon

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 Census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk
	The Government have put in place a broad programme of reform since 1997. Over the decade to 2007, the economic performance of all parts of the UK has improved considerably.
	The global recession has had a negative impact on economic activity in all parts of the UK. However, the economy was starting from a position of strength and is actively supported by policies implemented by the Government, including the fiscal stimulus and a significant package of support for those out of work. In Blaydon people are benefiting from this investment. Over the second half of 2009, nearly 500 people moved off of the claimant count each month on average. The claimant count fell for two consecutive months in November and December and now stands at nearly 5 per cent. below its October level. Long-term unemployment is still nearly 90 per cent. lower than in 2000 at the end of 2009.

Corporation Tax

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenue was foregone in the debt reliefs included in corporation tax in the last three financial years; and what effects on companies of such relief his Department has identified.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available, as HM Revenue and Customs does not have the necessary data to calculate the revenue implications of the various aspects of the UK's corporation tax regime that provide relief for debt.

Council Tax: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) domestic and  (b) composite properties in (i) England and (ii) Wales have an entry on the Valuation Office Agency's central council tax database; and how many have one or more associated digital photographs on the Agency's database.

Ian Pearson: The number of domestic dwellings in England with a live council tax band was 22,825,755 as at 2 February 2010. Of these, 934,465 have one or more digital photographs associated with them. The number of composite dwellings in England with a live council tax band was 282,416 as at 2 February 2010. Of these, 15,006 have one or more digital photographs associated with them.
	The number of domestic dwellings in Wales with a live council tax band was 1,369,271 as at 2 February 2010. Of these, 171,231 have one or more digital photographs associated with them. The number of composite dwellings in Wales with a live council tax band was 30,493 as at 2 February 2010. Of these, 5,372 have one or more digital photographs associated with them.

Departmental Accountancy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any written instructions have been provided to the Accounting Officer for his Department in accordance with paragraph 5.5 of the Ministerial Code since May 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury has received two ministerial directions since 1997. I shall place copies of the correspondence in the Library.

Departmental Billing

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average length of time taken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies to pay invoices from (i) small and medium-sized enterprises and (ii) all creditors in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Prime Minister announced in October 2008 that all central Government Departments will aim to pay invoices within 10 days. The Treasury Group commenced reporting 10-day payment performance for all suppliers, irrespective of size, in November 2008.
	I also refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow East, (John Mason) on 25 January 2010,  Official Report, column 594W.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the annual unitary payment is to the private finance initiative provider responsible for works and refurbishment to his Department's buildings.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The annual unitary payment to the PFI provider for the 1 Horse Guards Road building can be calculated from data shown in the Treasury's 2008-09 Annual Report and Accounts HC 611 available from:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/dep_perf_reports_index.htm
	The unitary payment of £18,287,000 is the sum of 'Interest element of on-balance sheet PFI contract' £11,929,000 and 'Service element of on-balance sheet PFI contract' £4,444,000 in note 7.2 'Other administration costs' on page 198 plus 'PFI contract' £1,914,000, shown in note 17.1 'Creditors analysis by type-amounts falling due within one year'.

Departmental Drinking Water

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on bottled drinking water in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the former Exchequer Secretary, the hon. Member for Burnley (Kitty Ussher) gave on 11 June 2009,  Official Report, column 979W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).

Departmental Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many performance reviews were undertaken in respect of staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a direct result of such a rating; and what percentage of full-time equivalent staff this represented.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: All staff in HM Treasury and its agencies have annual performance reviews.
	Unsatisfactory performance is dealt with under the Managing Capability Policy.
	The number dismissed due to inefficiency/unsatisfactory performance in each of the last five years has been less than five and are thus not disclosed on grounds of confidentiality.
	Information on staff numbers in HM Treasury and its agencies are published in the annual report and accounts, available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/annual_report09.htm

Income Tax

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional  (a) steps he has taken and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs staff have taken or deployed to restrict conversion of income into capital gains or corporation revenues following his announcement of an increase in the top rate of income tax.

Stephen Timms: Anti-avoidance rules are already in place in tax legislation to prevent the conversion of income into capital. The effectiveness of these rules is kept under review.
	Most recently, Finance Act 2009 introduced principles based legislation to address attempts to convert interest-like returns on investments into a capital gain (the disguised interest rules) and attempts to dispose of rights to future income in return for a capital payment (sale of income streams rules).
	HM Revenue and Customs is also consulting on a proposed new hallmark covering Income into Capital schemes within the Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes regime, which will help ensure the Department has early information about any schemes being developed.

Local Government Finance

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to allow local authorities to use systems of tax increment financing.

Liam Byrne: As announced at PBR 2009, Government are continuing to examine the framework that would be needed to implement tax increment financing, while considering the primary legislation that would be needed if schemes were to be introduced. Any decision to implement the policy will have to be taken in light of the overall fiscal position.

Low Incomes: Pensioners

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer
	(1)  how many people aged 75 years and over had an income below  (a) £10,000,  (b) the age-related personal allowance of £9,640 and  (c) the basic level of personal allowance of £6,475 in 2009-10;
	(2)  how many people aged between 65 and 74 years old had an income below  (a) £10,000,  (b) the age-related personal allowance of £9,640 and  (c) the basic level of personal allowance of £6,490 in 2009-10.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 29 January 2010
	Estimates of the number of taxpayers with total income below £10,000 in 2009-10 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   under £6,475  under £9,640  under £10,000 
			 75 and over - - 64,400 
			 65 to 74 - 41,300 139,500 
		
	
	Figures are based on the 2006-07 Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI) and projected in line with the 2009 pre-Budget report assumptions.
	Similar figures covering non taxpayers with incomes below the age-related personal allowances of £9,640 for those aged 75 and over and £9,490 for those aged 65 to 74 in 2009-10 are not available in the SPI.

PAYE

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the terms of reference and objectives of the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) Improvement Group; when the PAYE Improvement Group was established; what the PAYE Improvement Group's  (a) staff and  (b) budget (i) was in each of the last three years and (ii) is expected to be in 2010; and what (A) documents and (B) reports the PAYE Improvement Group has produced to date.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) PAYE Improvement Group was created in 2005 to help the Department explore options for improving the operation of PAYE. The information requested is provided in the following table; the group has not produced any formal reports.
	
		
			   Staff numbers (FTE)  Budget- excluding staff costs (£) 
			 2006-07 3.5 15,980 
			 2007-08 4.5 258,879 
			 2008-09 5 99,770 
			 2009-10 6.5 257,017

Public Holidays

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: No such estimate is available.

Public Sector: Pensions

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer over what timetable the proposals in the pre-Budget report 2009 to cap contributions to public sector pension schemes will be implemented.

Liam Byrne: Cap and share reforms will apply to valuations of the teachers, local government, civil service and NHS pension schemes due to be completed by April 2012.

Public Sector: Pensions

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the likely effect of the implementation of proposals in the pre-Budget report 2009 to cap contributions to public sector pension schemes on the pension deficit implied on each affected pension scheme.

Liam Byrne: Cap and share applies to the teachers, NHS, civil service and local government pension schemes. With the exception of the local government scheme these operate on a pay-as-you-go basis: these schemes have no fund, so no surplus or deficit. Future cash flow projections for the pay-as-you-go public service pension schemes are presented in chart 6.E of the Long Term Public Finance Report 2009, which was published alongside the pre-Budget report 2009. These projections include allowance for the potential savings as a result of cap and share due to increasing life expectancies. This shows that in the long-term the cost of providing public service pensions will remain a low and stable share of GDP.

Revenue and Customs

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultation HM Revenue and Customs has conducted with  (a) staff and  (b) unions on proposed redundancies among its human resources staff.

Stephen Timms: Between 2006 and 2008 HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) undertook a Regional Review Programme to bring its office network in line with plans to modernise the Department and improve service to customers while delivering significant efficiencies. The final decisions on which offices would close were announced in December 2008.
	As part of the regional reviews HMRC held eight week consultation periods to give staff and unions the opportunity to comment on its restructuring proposals and the feedback received was taken into consideration as part of the decision making process.
	Following the announcements about which offices would close managers held one-to-one meetings with staff affected by the decisions to discuss their options. HMRC maintains a regular dialogue with union representatives and staff on the impact of transformation and is committed to supporting staff directly affected.
	On 13 January 2010 HMRC announced that under the next stage of the Workforce Change programme, 130 offices identified for closure during the regional reviews would be vacated in the 2010-11 financial year. As a result, approximately 1,700 staff who have not yet found alternative posts will be eligible to apply for voluntary redundancy or severance on compulsory terms. Of this number less than 1 per cent. are human resources staff. Discussion with the unions took place before the announcement was made.
	HMRC is committed to avoiding compulsory redundancy wherever possible and will make every effort to redeploy people who wish to continue their careers in the Department or the wider Civil Service.

Revenue and Customs

Peter Viggers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the work of HM Revenue and Customs High Net Worth Team; what changes are proposed to be made to the team; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) High Net Worth Unit (HNWU) was created in April 2009 to deal specifically with the tax affairs of the UK's wealthiest individual taxpayers.
	The unit's aim is to take an overall view of the tax affairs of these individuals and improve HMRC's understanding of them. This will enable HMRC to communicate more effectively with them, influence their behaviours and provide a more robust evidence base for policy decisions and assessment of their liabilities. However, it is too early to assess the overall impact of the unit's work.
	Following its initial creation, the unit is now in a position to make some changes to the staff structure of its teams, to reflect the growing understanding of its requirements within this specialist segment. This will maintain the unit's existing nine offices, while improving efficiency and effectiveness.

Revenue and Customs

Nick Hurd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost has been of HM Revenue and Customs' Special Customer Records programme; and how many taxpayers are registered as special customers.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not have a 'Special Customer Records Programme'. HMRC applies high standards of confidentiality and security to all customer data.
	It would not be in the public interest, and could put individuals at personal risk, to disclose the number of individuals for whose records HMRC provides additional safeguards.

Tax Avoidance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many disclosures have been made under the Liechtenstein disclosure facility; how many disclosures were made under the offshore disclosure facility; and what revenue was  (a) predicted and  (b) achieved from such disclosures.

Stephen Timms: The facility to make disclosures under the Liechtenstein disclosure facility has been available since 1 September 2009 and will run until 31 March 2015. As at the end of January, 198 people had registered that they intend to make a disclosure and six had made their final disclosures, which are being reviewed.
	HM Revenue and Customs' initial estimate is that approximately £1 billion in unpaid taxes may be recovered over the five year period of this facility.
	For information on the offshore disclosure facility I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 1 February 2010,  Official Report, column 105W. The revenues recovered from this were in line with projections.

Taxation: Business

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses deferred tax payments to HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last three financial years; how much was deferred in tax payments in each of those years; how many companies did not comply with their agreements for deferral of tax payments in each of those years; and what the average length of payment deferral time was in each of those years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost, as data is not centrally held by HM Revenue and Customs' systems.
	The 2009 pre-Budget report confirmed that since its introduction in November 2008 HMRC's Business Payment Support Service supported over 160,000 businesses, collectively employing more than 1.2 million people, spread payment of over £4 billion of tax over a period they could afford.
	Sampling exercises show that over 90 per cent. of all arrangements were being paid either fully or partially in line with the agreements agreed under the Business Payment Support Service. Over 60 per cent. of all arrangements are for three months and below.

Taxation: Domicile

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 November 2009,  Official Report, column 588W, how many individuals claimed non-domiciled status in each taxable income band in  (a) April 2008 and  (b) April 2009.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 26 January 2010
	Information is only available on the numbers of individuals indicating non-domicile status on their Self Assessment (SA) returns. The last available full year's SA data relate to 2006-07, and are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Total income taxable in the UK (lower limit)( 1, 2)  Individuals indicating non-domicile status (including both resident and non-resident individuals) 
			 £0 87,000 
			 £100,000 24,000 
			 £500,000 3,000 
			 £1,000,000 2,000 
			 £5,000,000 200 
			 All(3) 117,000 
			 (1) Individuals may have other income which is not taxable in the UK. (2) Income bands above £5 million have been grouped together to protect taxpayer confidentiality. (3) Rounded to the nearest thousand.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to extend arrangements for tax relief under the furnished holiday lettings rules from 6 April 2010 for those who let furnished holiday properties as their  (a) sole source of income and  (b) main business; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Budget 2009 announced that the furnished holiday lettings (FHL) rules would be repealed with effect from April 2010. Draft legislation and an impact assessment were published alongside the 2009 pre-Budget report in December 2009. There are no plans to extend the FHL rules in the way suggested.

Valuation Office: Freedom of Information

Bob Neill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what timetable has been set for the Valuation Office Agency to make a substantive response to Freedom of Information request 11461802.1/CEO, submitted to the Agency in August 2008; and what the reasons are for the time taken to respond to that request.

Ian Pearson: The VOA will provide a substantive answer to this request by 26 February 2010. The VOA has written to the requester explaining the reasons for the delay in replying.

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of tax credit claimants had been  (a) underpaid and  (b) overpaid more than (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times and (iv) four times since their claim began in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Through the Tax Credits Transformation programme HM Revenue and Customs is continuing to help people to reduce the likelihood of getting an over or underpayment on their award.
	Information on the number of tax credit awards with more than one, two, three and four underpayments or overpayments, between 2003-04 and 2007-08, is provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Thousand 
			  Regularity with which overpayment or underpayment occurred  Number of awards underpaid  Number of awards overpaid 
			 (a) More than once(1) 964 2,138 
			 (b) More than twice(2) 236 635 
			 (c) More than three times(3) 39 130 
			 (d) More than four times 3 15 
			
			 Proportion of all tax credit awards in 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 which were under/overpaid more than once (Percentage) 10 22 
			 (1 )Number is cumulative and therefore includes (b), (c) and (d). (2) Number is cumulative and therefore includes (c) and (d). (3 )Number is cumulative and therefore includes (d).

Welfare Tax Credits

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual cases of tax credit overpayment his Department has taken to court to seek recovery in each month since April 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) initiates court action only as a last resort.
	The number of court actions initiated by HMRC through the county court (in England and Wales)(1), sheriff's court (Scotland) and magistrates court (Northern Ireland) from April 2009 for the recovery of tax credit overpayments are shown in the following table.
	(1) For England and Wales these figures relate only to actions commenced centrally and exclude those commenced by local HMRC Technical Offices where it is not possible to readily disaggregate tax credit cases from the total number of locally initiated court actions.
	
		
			   Court cases 
			  2009  
			 April 355 
			 May 240 
			 June 197 
			 July 199 
			 August 122 
			 September 87 
			 October 121 
			 November 72 
			 December 56 
			  2010  
			 January 160

JUSTICE

Alcoholic Drinks: Rehabilitation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders in the criminal justice system have been required to undergo alcohol treatment as part of a sentence in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Offenders aged 18 or over convicted of offences committed on or after 4 April 2005 and who have expressed their willingness to comply can be sentenced to an alcohol treatment requirement (ATR) as part of a community order or suspended sentence order. Courts can make it a requirement of a community rehabilitation order or community punishment and rehabilitation order for offenders convicted of offences committed before 4 April 2005 and 16 to 17-year-old offenders to receive alcohol treatment.
	The youth rehabilitation order (YROs), the new community sentence for under-18s, was introduced in November 2009. A specific intoxicating substance requirement can be made part of a YRO under which an under-18 would be required to undertake treatment for alcohol misuse. Data for the number of YROs with an intoxicating substance requirement are not yet available.
	The number of offenders made subject to an ATR in each year from 2005, when the ATR first became available to courts in England and Wales, to 2008 is shown in the following table(1). Equivalent data for 2009 will be published on the last working day of April. It is not possible to provide data for the number of offenders required to attend alcohol treatment as part of a community rehabilitation order (CRO) or community punishment and rehabilitation order (CPRO) from 2005-09.
	
		
			  ATR commencements 
			   Community order  Suspended sentence order  Total 
			 2005 1,356 194 1,550 
			 2006 2,439 821 3,260 
			 2007 3,267 1,441 4,708 
			 2008 4,664 1,881 6,545 
			 (1) Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2008  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Blaydon

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Blaydon constituency, the effects on Blaydon of his Department's policies and actions since 2000.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice's work spans criminal, civil and family justice, democracy, rights and the constitution. Every year around nine million people use our services in 900 locations across the United Kingdom, including 650 courts and tribunals and 139 prisons in England and Wales.
	The range of the Department's policies and actions is wide and the statistical information relating to it is not normally collected on a constituency basis. Consequently, some of the information requested in the question cannot be provided in the form requested except at a disproportionate cost.
	Although data on sentencing for the period is not available for the constituency of Blaydon, it is available for Northumbria. This shows an increase in the total number of offenders sentenced annually from 50,378 in 2000 to 50,622 in 2008, the latest period for which such information is available.
	Likewise, the number of offences brought to justice for the Northumbria area increased from 39,360 for the 12 months ending 31 March 2001 to 45,399 (provisional figures) for the 12 months ending 31 March 2009.
	With regard to prosecutions, data are not available for the constituency of Blaydon. However, the total number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts in Northumbria was 66,781 in 1997 compared to 60,642 in 2008.
	The latest data, which cover reoffending in the period 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, showed that the three-month reoffending rate for offenders on the probation caseload in Gateshead was 14.07 per cent. After controlling for changes in the characteristics of offenders on the probation caseload, there was a reduction in reoffending of 3.07 per cent. compared to the 2007-08 baseline. Data are not available prior to 2007 on this basis.
	The number of persons commencing court order supervision by the Probation Service in Northumbria was 4,083 in 2000 and 6,574 in 2008.
	55,879 civil non-family proceedings were started in the county courts of the Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria HMCS area in 2008, compared to 44,568 in 2000. There were also 4,368 private law applications and 258 public law applications made in the county or High Courts of this HMCS area in 2008/09, compared to 3,353 and 277 respectively in 2003-04, the first annual period for which these figures are available.
	In addition, at a national level:
	Local communities are being better engaged in criminal justice-by giving them a say in the types of Community Payback projects offenders carry out and allowing them to see justice being done, for example through the use of high visibility jackets. Offenders have now worked more than fourteen million hours, with an estimated value to the taxpayer of over £80 million.
	Major constitutional reforms have been delivered, including devolution, the Human Rights Act, Freedom of Information, Lords Reform, and a new Supreme Court for the UK.

Brighton Special Cases Unit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions the Review Panel covering the Brighton Special Cases Unit has met; on what date each such meeting took place; who  (a) acted as the (i) chairman and (ii) clerk and  (b) attended each meeting; how many (A) matters were considered and (B) appeals were (x) upheld and (y) rejected at each meeting; on what date papers were distributed for each meeting; and how many pages there were in each paginated bundle.

Bridget Prentice: Committee agendas are not kept for five years. SCU retain the original agendas for 18 months. Copies of decisions are retained on the individual case files. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the period January to December 2009 determinations by single independent adjudicators were: (a) 41 upheld the clients' review in part or full, (b) 194 dismissed. In the same period determinations by committees of independent funding adjudicators were: (a) five upheld the clients review in part or full, (b) 37 dismissed. These reviews covered applications, amendments and discharges of funding.

Brighton Special Cases Unit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the statutory requirement set out in paragraph 6.4(b) of the Review Panel Arrangements 2000, what  (a) professional and other qualifications and  (b) specialist experience and knowledge is held by the Regional Director of the Adjudicators to whom appeals against decisions of the Brighton Special Cases Unit may be referred.

Bridget Prentice: The regional director for Special Cases Unit is David Keegan. He is more widely the director of high cost cases. He is not a solicitor or barrister. He has been employed by the Legal Services Commission and its predecessor the Legal Aid Board for 19 years. He has been the director for Special Cases Unit since 2000. Prior to that he was regional director for the south-east. He is supported by an experienced professional team specialising in specific areas of law, currently consisting of 10 solicitors, three barristers and five legal executives (qualified or in training).

Brighton Special Cases Unit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice who the Regional Director of the adjudicators is to whom appeals against decisions of the Brighton Special Cases Unit may be referred.

Bridget Prentice: The Regional Director for Special Cases Unit is David Keegan. He is more widely the Director of High Cost Cases. He is not a solicitor or barrister. He has been employed by the Legal Services Commission and its predecessor the Legal Aid Board for 19 years. He has been the Director for Special Cases Unit since 2000. Prior to that he was Regional Director for the South East. He is supported by an experienced professional team specialising in specific areas of law.

Brighton Special Cases Unit

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which personnel are employed in the Brighton Special Cases Unit of the Legal Services Commission (LSC); what professional and other qualifications were considered relevant to the fulfilment of their role in each such case; to whom such personnel are accountable; and from whom they can seek advice within the LSC.

Bridget Prentice: The Special Cases Unit presently employs 10 solicitors, three barristers and five legal executives (qualified or in training). They operate in teams specialising in areas of law with senior case managers providing supervision. Senior case managers are typically solicitors and barristers of 20 to 30 years' qualification. They are accountable to the director of high cost cases. They can obtain advice from the legal and governance team in LSC's head office.

Community Orders

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many community orders were handed down in each of the last five years; and how many such orders were handed down with  (a) a mental health treatment order and  (b) an unpaid work order.

Claire Ward: The following table shows the number of community orders and those with a mental health treatment and unpaid work requirements which commenced under probation service supervision in each year from 2005 to 2008 (latest available).
	Data are available from April 2005 only as the community order was introduced under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 on 4 April 2005.
	
		
			  Total number of persons starting community orders and the number of those required to undertake mental health or unpaid work requirements, 2005-08 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Community order 53,248 111,752 117,860 120,743 
			  of which: 
			 Mental health requirement 262 750 652 739 
			 Unpaid work 29,947 66,937 74,779 74,629 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with  (a) the Scottish Parliament and  (b) the Scottish Executive on Clause 36 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill;
	(2)  whether he notified the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament of the provisions in Clause 36 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill;
	(3)  what discussions he had with  (a) the Scottish Executive and  (b) the Scottish Parliament on the provisions of Clause 36 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill.

Michael Wills: Clause 36 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill triggers the Sewel convention and we have been working with the Scottish Ministers to seek the consent of the Scottish Parliament in line with the Sewel convention. The Scottish Parliament gave its consent by way of a Legislative Consent Motion on 28 January.

Crimes of Violence: Sentencing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of persons convicted of  (a) sexual offences,  (b) violence against the person,  (c) burglary,  (d) robbery and  (e) drug offences in each year since 1998 served the maximum applicable sentence.

Claire Ward: There are 440 offences-each with a statutory maximum-included in the categories asked for; to extract the number of persons sentenced to or who have served the maximum in each year could be supplied only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on  (a) consultants,  (b) advertising,  (c) publishing,  (d) public relations,  (e) professional training and  (f) other activities for each campaign (i) operated by his Department and (ii) commissioned from other organisations in (A) 2005-06, (B) 2006-07, (C) 2007-08 and (D) 2008-09; and which organisation operated each campaign which was not operated by his Department.

Jack Straw: Campaigns are defined as activities undertaken by the Ministry of Justice and its executive agencies (Her Majesty's Courts Service, the National Offender Management Service, the Tribunals Service and the Office of the Public Guardian) to communicate departmental programmes and policies to the public.
	The nature of the Ministry of Justice's activities, principally administering the courts, prisons, probation and tribunals systems, is such that it does not engage in such campaigns to any significant degree.
	The way in which the Ministry records its expenditure does not enable us to identify all of the costs associated with specific campaigns without incurring disproportionate cost. Expenditure is recorded according to the type of expenditure and the business unit which incurs the expense. To provide a full response would therefore involve analysing individual transaction records in each of the five categories of expenditure  (a) to  (f) for headquarters and the Ministry's four executive agencies for the last four years to identify which costs related to campaigns, as defined.
	 Advertising and pub licity expenditure on campaigns
	As campaigns will, by their nature, involve advertising and publicity expenditure, the following limited information has been collated from the Ministry's business areas in respect of specific advertising campaigns:
	 Democracy, Constitution and Law (DCL)
	Total advertising expenditure for all years from 2004-05 to 2008-09:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 3,000 
			 2005-06 372,068 
			 2006-07 163,727 
			 2007-08 20,434 
			 2008-09 14,335 
		
	
	The expenditure was for the following initiatives:
	Law Commission: Promotional advert on DCL's work placed in  Modern Government magazine, in-house magazine and in  Government: Public Sector Journal.
	Information Commissioner's Office: Article feature and placement costs, production of public information films, full colour page advertorial in  Chief Talent Officer, full page advertisement in  SME Enterprise Magazine, promotion and distribution of public information films.
	Elections and Democracy: National and regional press adverts for the general election, posters and radio advertising for collective campaign.
	Information Policy: Production of posters, leaflets and small items of stationery for advertising the commencement of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
	 Criminal Justice Group (CJG)
	The two main advertising campaigns which are ongoing are:
	Victims Support
	Intimidated Witness.
	Both initiatives are advertised mainly in the form of leaflets. The campaigns are intended to raise public awareness of the support available to witnesses and victims from the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
	The advertising expenditure for these two campaigns is not separately identifiable from the rest of the publicity and advertising expenditure of the CJG.
	 Access to Justice
	The vast majority of advertising expenditure of HM Courts Service (which is from the MOJ Access to Justice budget) is for the Operation Payback initiative. The costs incurred are as follows:
	2005-06: £252,000
	2006-07: £21,000 via the Central Office of Information
	2007-08: £2,110.
	HM Courts Service did not commission any Operation Payback campaigns in 2008-09.
	Operation Payback involved intensive week-long blitzes on outstanding fines which were initiated and co-ordinated by HM Courts Service in association with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), local police and other Criminal Justice System organisations.
	Operation Payback is now running under the title of Operation Crack Down.
	 Tribunals Service
	In 2007-08 £204 was spent on the launch of the Welsh language scheme.
	 National O ffender Management Service NOMS
	The National Offender Management Service (NOMS), which has responsibility for the prison and probation systems, has spent the following non-recruitment related amounts on advertising, external publicity and broadcasting. Amounts relating to specific advertising campaigns cannot be separately quantified except at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Advertising expenditure (£000) 
			 2005-06(1) 36 
			 2006-07(1) 17 
			 2007-08(1) 31 
			 2008-09 281 
			 (1) The figures obtained for the financial years 2005-06 to 2007-08 is for HM Prison Service (HMPS) agency only. They exclude NOMS HQ (previously a directorate within the parent Department) which is now part of the NOMS agency from 2008-09. The figure for 2008-09 is for NOMS HQ and HMPS but excludes the National Probation Service. The 2008-09 figures are therefore not comparable to previous years.  Note: 1. All years exclude expenditure by the 42 local probation boards and trusts which are part of NOMS, each of which operates its own separate accounting system. However, a one-off exercise undertaken in 2007-08 found that expenditure on advertising and promotion by the 42 local probation boards and trusts was £58,264. This information-gathering exercise was not repeated in any other years. 
		
	
	In addition to the campaigns mentioned above, the Ministry has commissioned adverts in the local media to support the 'Justice Seen and Justice Done' campaigns that were funded entirely by the Home Office.
	 Campaigns (i) run by the Department and (ii) and commissioned from other organisations
	Campaigns are managed by the Ministry but some work is commissioned from other organisations. Advertising commissions are undertaken by the Central Office of Information, a government department which exists to provide advertising services to Government in the most cost-effective manner. The Ministry has a contract with TSO to supply the Department with a large proportion of external publications. The Ministry's publications via TSO can be found at:
	http://www.tso.co.uk/about/whoAreWe/
	It would incur disproportionate cost in order to obtain a split between expenditure undertaken in house and that commissioned from other organisations.

Driving Offences

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for  (a) an offence of drink driving and  (b) each other motoring offence in (i) Torbay constituency, (ii) Devon and (iii) England resulted in a custodial sentence in each of the last 10 years.

Claire Ward: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts in the Devon and Cornwall police force area and England for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs and other motoring offences (by offence type) is given in Tables 1 and 2 from 1999 to 2008 (latest available). Sentences of immediate custody imposed at all courts are given in Tables 3 and 4.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data for Devon cannot be separately identified from within the Devon and Cornwall police force area.
	Data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts in the Devon and Cornwall police force area, of motoring offences( 1) , by offence type, from 1999 to 2008( 2,3) 
			  Offence group  Offence type  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 2 Dangerous driving 75 63 78 78 85 75 67 52 57 54 
			 3 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 2,098 2,052 2,225 2,271 2,489 2,341 2,299 2,199 2,140 2,054 
			 4 Careless driving 480 547 698 687 656 782 743 725 760 999 
			 5 Accident offences 106 91 118 139 154 267 224 151 131 83 
			 7 Driving licence related offences 843 988 1,006 1,105 1,304 1,187 928 812 725 776 
			 9 Vehicle insurance offences 3,228 4,259 3,916 4,196 4,220 4,124 3,608 4,111 3,773 3,478 
			 10 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 381 442 771 1,267 1,417 868 752 798 658 794 
			 11 Work record and employment offences 84 111 103 125 60 93 73 67 44 52 
			 12 Operator's licence offences 26 57 30 25 24 23 15 13 14 13 
			 13 Vehicle test offences 663 450 466 542 547 591 416 444 370 310 
			 14 Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 90 67 90 77 62 99 41 28 28 46 
			 15 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 274 260 218 207 182 179 128 163 158 219 
			 16 Speed limit offences 3,370 4,142 3,698 3,334 4,729 4,642 4,933 4,472 3,835 2,821 
			 17 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 2 - 2 2 2 1 1 3 1 7 
			 18 Neglect of traffic directions 535 444 376 635 530 605 1,048 968 648 452 
			 19 Neglect of pedestrian rights 86 96 82 80 62 67 41 33 43 44 
			 20 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 548 399 446 370 315 238 237 240 143 81 
			 21 Lighting offences: 180 146 127 146 133 117 86 77 67 97 
			 22 Noise offences 26 29 16 25 15 18 16 13 19 14 
			 23 Load offences 126 185 202 189 225 169 80 118 85 101 
			 24 Offences peculiar to motor cycles: 5 6 6 4 4 8 5 10 6 5 
			 25 Miscellaneous motoring offences 847 903 787 885 1,634 1,460 1,978 1,286 971 445 
			  Total 14,073 15,737 15,461 16,389 18,849 17,954 17,719 16,783 14,676 12,945 
			 (1) Offence groups are shown only where data have been reported within the period given.  (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The number of defendants found guilty at all courts in England, of motoring offences( 1) , by offence type, from 1999 to 2008( 2,3) 
			  Offence group  Offence type  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2,008 
			 2 Dangerous driving 3,633 3,716 3,807 4,512 5,035 4,951 4,330 3,987 3,817 3,307 
			 3 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 74,413 71,471 70,854 76,191 78,291 80,986 79,005 78,410 76,145 68,755 
			 4 Careless driving 33,414 29,016 25,646 22,582 20,279 19,711 19,325 18,204 27,106 57,369 
			 5 Accident offences 5,406 5,107 5,384 5,243 5,613 5,749 5,469 5,419 5,535 3,998 
			 7 Driving licence related offences 37,389 37,656 38,518 41,512 49,042 52,550 48,895 43,901 41,710 37,929 
			 9 Vehicle insurance offences 155,039 159,841 157,522 170,470 194,103 204,708 188,749 181,047 162,854 139,170 
			 10 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 8,930 10,567 12,180 17,822 21,896 21,380 12,211 10,136 10,213 11,980 
			 11 Work record and employment offences 5,006 4,493 3,940 3,107 2,890 2,336 2,030 1,830 1,338 1,504 
			 12 Operator's licence offences: 1,476 1,580 1,263 981 777 704 703 640 461 420 
			 13 Vehicle test offences 19,754 16,302 13,842 12,798 13,583 13,066 11,242 9,108 7,166 6,081 
			 14 Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 3,845 3,235 3,270 3,077 3,021 2,445 1,816 1,404 1,029 717 
			 15 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 14,476 11,661 9,141 7,670 6,961 7,387 6,674 6,207 6,189 6,869 
			 16 Speed limit offences 133,535 124,105 121,515 110,485 122,839 134,134 141,995 137,022 134,144 115,211 
			 17 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 1,373 2,088 1,481 1,792 1,181 1,423 1,751 1,186 1,070 932 
			 18 Neglect of traffic directions 24,999 25,486 23,582 21,516 20,823 22,372 19,556 21,076 21,077 18,260 
			 19 Neglect of pedestrian rights 4,009 3,104 2,471 2,079 2,169 2,139 1,909 1,514 1,552 1,685 
			 20 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 14,777 12,702 12,070 11,606 12,037 9,747 7,190 5,742 3,659 4,144 
			 21 Lighting offences 3,890 2,912 2,306 2,167 2,055 2,177 2,123 1,892 1,601 1,667 
			 22 Noise offences 1,050 786 655 459 415 376 349 277 219 253 
			 23 Load offences 9,904 9,285 7,791 6,592 6,737 5,844 4,576 4,406 4,093 4,338 
			 24 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 201 259 249 213 226 295 209 197 152 114 
			 25 Miscellaneous motoring offences 41,838 40,449 38,236 42,851 55,151 71,505 67,896 49,384 67,024 42,170 
			  Total 598,357 575,821 555,723 565,725 625,124 665,985 628,003 582,989 578,154 526,873 
			 (1) Offence groups are shown only where data have been reported within the period given. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at all courts in the Devon and Cornwall police force area, for motoring offences( 1 ) by offence type, from 1999 to 2008( 2,3) 
			  Offence group  Offence type  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 2 Dangerous driving 25 29 24 33 30 32 21 18 20 17 
			 3 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 48 50 68 49 59 52 65 50 20 29 
			 5 Accident offences 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 - - 1 
			 7 Driving licence related offences 247 247 255 285 304 201 182 130 96 91 
			 9 Vehicle insurance offences - - - 1 1 - - - - - 
			  Total 323 328 349 369 396 286 269 198 136 138 
			 (1) Offence groups are shown only where data have been reported within the period given.  (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody at all courts in England, for motoring offences( 1) , by offence type, from 1999 to 2008( 2,3) 
			  Offence group  Offence type  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 2 Dangerous driving 1,475 1,591 1,753 2,022 2,186 2,116 1,827 1,584 1,454 1,285 
			 3 Driving etc, after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 3,433 3,239 3,249 3,099 2,880 2,811 2,580 2,104 1,879 1,712 
			 4 Careless driving 2 1 1 - - 2 1 1 - - 
			 5 Accident offences 69 67 70 76 64 70 77 59 49 38 
			 7 Driving licence related offences 11,230 11,665 12,402 12,562 13,300 11,177 9,175 7,008 5,420 4,227 
			 9 Vehicle insurance offences 5 15 4 7 10 18 5 7 3 5 
			 10 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences - 2 - 1 2 - - - - - 
			 13 Vehicle test offences - 2 - - - - - - 1 - 
			 14 Fraud, forgery etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 22 9 9 20 15 13 12 7 6 9 
			 15 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition - 1 - - - - - - 1 - 
			 16 Speed limit offences 2 1 1 - - 1 - 2 - - 
			 18 Neglect of traffic directions 1 1 - - - - - 2 2 - 
			 19 Neglect of pedestrian rights - - - - - 2 1 - - - 
			 20 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences - - - - - - - 2 - - 
			 23 Load offences - - - - - - - 1 - - 
			 25 Miscellaneous motoring offences 4 8 5 5 3 3 3 1 3 - 
			  Total 16,243 16,602 17,494 17,792 18,460 16,213 13,681 10,778 8,818 7,276 
			 (1) Offence groups are shown only where data have been reported within the period given.  (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Driving Offences: Disqualification

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in  (a) Torbay constituency,  (b) the South West and  (c) England were disqualified from driving as a result of an offence of (i) drink-driving, (ii) speeding and (iii) dangerous or reckless driving in each of the last 10 years.

Claire Ward: The number persons disqualified from driving as a result of convictions for (i) drink driving, (ii) speeding and (iii) dangerous or careless driving in the South West and England in each of the last 10 years shown in tables 1 and 2 as follows.
	Court proceedings data are not available at parliamentary constituency level. Data for 2009 are expected to be published in the autumn 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: Disqualifications imposed at all courts in the South West Government office region( 1) , for selected motoring offences, from 1998 to 2008( 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			  Offence type  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Dangerous driving 376 345 356 334 407 494 492 415 339 316 291 
			 Driving etc., after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 7,596 7,563 7,124 7,222 7,556 8,132 8,056 7,316 7,380 7,114 6,411 
			 Careless driving 105 129 128 196 181 192 200 193 195 189 137 
			 Speed limit offences 1,564 1,680 1,833 2,067 1,959 2,391 1,908 1,670 1,655 1,307 1,155 
			 Total 9,641 9,717 9,441 9,819 10,103 11,209 10,656 9,594 9,569 8,926 7,994 
			 (1) Includes: Avon and Somerset police force area; Devon and Cornwall police force area; Dorset police force area; Gloucestershire police force area; Wiltshire police force area.  (2) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.  (3) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.   Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Disqualifications imposed at all courts in England, for selected motoring offences, from 1998 to 2008( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			  Offence type  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004( 4)  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Dangerous driving: 4,570 4,269 4,225 4,116 5,071 6,220 6,177 5,256 4,914 4,675 4,150 
			 Driving etc., after consuming alcohol or taking drugs: 80,332 77,827 74,697 73,685 79,310 81,139 84,669 81,107 81,461 78,503 70,179 
			 Careless driving: 1,423 1,445 1,478 1,861 2,026 1,988 2,240 2,164 2,085 2,232 1,770 
			 Speed limit offences 11,565 11,551 10,695 10,951 8,739 9,330 9,582 9,875 8,977 7,917 6,502 
			 Total 97,890 95,092 91,095 90,613 95,146 98,677 102,668 98,402 97,437 93,327 82,601 
			 (1) It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  (4) Figures given include revised figures for Sussex police force area.   Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

Electorate: British Nationals Abroad

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons entitled to vote in each parliamentary constituency are registered as resident abroad.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 9 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking how many persons reported to vote in each parliamentary constituency are registered as resident abroad. (316404)
	ONS has data, collected by local authorities, on the number of UK citizens resident overseas who are registered to vote in parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom. However it is not possible to distinguish those who actually voted.

Funding Certificates

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals regarding decisions on funding certificates have been referred to a review panel comprising more than one member in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: A review panel is an independent body made up of solicitors and barristers from which adjudicators, assessors and committees are appointed to review decisions made by LSC staff in regional offices.
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Legal Aid: Brighton

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for legal aid funding have been referred to the Special Cases Unit in Brighton in each of the last five years; and how many of those were  (a) accepted,  (b) refused and  (c) referred to the adjudicator in each such year.

Bridget Prentice: The Special Cases Unit does not necessarily only receive applications for funding. Funded cases are also transferred to SCU when the referral criteria are met. Only since 2007 have all SCU's cases been recorded to SCU specifically. The figures from that point are reported in the table. Because of the transfer of cases these figures do not relate directly to Committee or Adjudicator decisions of applications.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2007-08 6,893 
			 2008-09 6,303

Legal Services Commission

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many new housing matters were started by the Legal Services Commission in 2008-09; and how many have been started in 2009-10 to date;
	(2)  what proportion of all applications for  (a) civil representations and  (b) legal help in 2008-09 were related to housing;
	(3)  how many applications for acts of assistance relating to housing the Legal Services Commission (LSC) received in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 to date; how many such applications were accepted; and what percentage of the total number of requests to the LSC each figure represents.

Bridget Prentice: Legal aid in civil matters is provided at two levels, Controlled Work and Licensed Work:
	Controlled Work, also known as legal help, covers basic levels of advice and representation, not including representation in court. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) allocates specific volumes of New Matter Starts to providers. An act of assistance is each instance in which a provider gives legal help to a client, including face to face and telephone advice (New Matter Start) and there is no need for providers to apply to the LSC for each case.
	Licensed Work, also known as civil representation, accounts for all other types of civil work, with the exception of Very High Cost Cases, which are managed under specialist contracts. Funding applications need to be submitted to the LSC for each case. The LSC decides whether funding criteria and the merits test are met. Funding limits in relation to the work are then set, which may be varied on application by the client.
	Legal aid providers contract with the LSC to undertake an agreed number of new matter starts in legal help within specific categories of law. The numbers of applications for legal help are unknown because they are received and assessed directly by the legal services provider. Therefore, while the LSC can determine the number of matters started within a certain category of law, such as housing, it cannot determine how many applications have been made. Table A shows the numbers of housing new matter starts for legal help.
	The numbers of applications for civil representation are shown in Table B.
	
		
			  Table A : Legal h elp new matters started figures 
			   1 April to 30 November 2009  2008-09 
			 Housing new matters started (NMS) 75,129 111,244 
			 Housing CLA telephone advice(1) 18,863 26,450 
			 Housing NMS- CLACs(2) 1,841 2,077 
			 Housing court duty scheme(3) 21,866 33,842 
			 Total housing NMS 117,699 173,613 
			 Total NMS (all categories) 671,740 927,654 
			 Total (percentage) 17.5 18.7 
			 (1) Community Legal Advice telephone service-providing help on a range of civil categories for eligible clients. (2) Community Legal Advice Centres-LSC and local authority commissioned centres, providing integrated face to face advice in housing, debt, welfare benefits, employment, community care and family. (3) Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme-available in most county courts in England and Wales providing free on the day advice and representation to individuals at risk of losing their home.  Note: Many of these figures can be found in the statistical information packs published on the LSC website: http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/aboutus/how/strategic_publications.asp 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Civil representation housing applications 
			   Civil representation 
			   1 April to  30 November 2009  2008-09 
			 Applications 10,601 15,559 
			 Certificates issued(1) 8,668 12,628 
			 Percentage of total applications (all categories) 7.7 8.5 
			 (1) The certificates issued may not directly relate to the applications received, as there may be a time lag between when an application is received and when a certificate is granted.

Legal Services Commission

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Legal Services Commission spent on acts of assistance relating to housing in each of the last five years; and how much has been spent in 2009-10 to date on applications for acts of assistance.

Bridget Prentice: For so called Controlled Work (which includes legal help and general advice and assistance), legal aid providers are paid a standard monthly payment in the first instance, which is not split by category of law. Once a case has been completed, the provider submits a claim to the LSC. Before the introduction of the Unified Contract in April 2007, solicitors were paid hourly rates and not-for-profit providers were paid in advance for hours agreed in their contract and the monthly data related to the number of cases started and finished as opposed to their cost. Since the introduction of a standard fixed fee payment regime in October 2007 it has been possible to provide figures for the cost of claims for all providers for 2008-09 to date.
	
		
			   1 April to 30 November 2009  2008-09 
			  Housing claims   
			 Volume 75,100 107,100 
			 Value (£ million) 15.0 22.2 
			
			  Community Legal Advice telephone line   
			 Volume 18,900 26,400 
			 Value (£ million) 2.5 2.7 
			
			  Housing Duty Solicitor Scheme   
			 Volume 21,900 33,800 
			 Value (£ million) 2.2 3.3 
		
	
	The cost of civil representation for housing matters closed from 1 April 2009 to 30 November 2009 and each of the previous five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Cases completed( 1)  Expenditure (£ million)( 2) 
			 1 April 2009 to  30 November 2009 7,100 17.9 
			 2008-09 11,300 28.4 
			 2007-08 11,200 26.6 
			 2006-07 10,600 25.4 
			 2005-06 11,000 25.7 
			 2004-05 11,400 26.9 
			 (1) The figures relate to cases closed during the period. (2) The figures show costs to the LSC and exclude certain cases including: cases that were settled and where the other party agreed to pay some or all of the costs; cases where the solicitor later reported that there was no longer a claim; cases where certificates were revoked due to an applicant failing to pay contributions or was found to be ineligible for legal aid following a reassessment of income and; cases where the total cost of the case equalled the same as the initial payment on account to the provider or the cost was less than £10. The figure represents gross spend excluding income.

Legal Services Commission

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what expenditure has been incurred on  (a) remuneration and  (b) expenses for each adjudicator appointed by the Brighton office of the Legal Services Commission in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: The expenditure on Independent Funding Adjudicators, the former Funding Review Committee and the Multi-Party Action Committee for the Special Cases Unit, of which one part operates from Brighton, over the past five years was:
	
		
			  (£) 
			 2004-05 34,330 
			 2005-06 30,525 
			 2006-07 23,863 
			 2007-08 27,689 
			 2008-09 22,733 
		
	
	The present remuneration rates for the members of LSC Committees are:
	Chair half-day £180.85, full day £361-70; Member half-day £143.55, full day £287.10. Single adjudicators receive the payment rate for a chair of a Committee. SCU pay pro-rata rates for hours worked and this includes preparatory reading for meetings.
	Specific information on the remuneration of all the individuals involved in this work is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Legal Services Commission

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many appeals to a Legal Services Commission adjudicator have been  (a) upheld and  (b) rejected in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: Single independent funding adjudicators were introduced in October 2006. Prior to that the reviews were decided by funding review committees.
	The information is not held centrally for the last five years and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In the period January to December 2009 determinations by single independent adjudicators were: (a) 41 upheld the clients' review in part or full, (b) 194 dismissed. In the same period determinations by committees of independent funding adjudicators were: (a) five upheld the clients review in part or full, (b) 37 dismissed. These reviews covered applications, amendments and discharges of funding.

Legal Services Commission

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how long the adjudicator for the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has to give their decision in respect each matter referred to them; what steps the LSC takes to monitor the performance of adjudicators; who in the LSC monitors the performance of adjudicators; how many complaints about delay have been raised by the LSC with adjudicators in the last five years; and what the outcome was in each case.

Bridget Prentice: The LSC aims to complete reviews promptly from the date of receipt.
	For the Special Cases Unit it is typical for the adjudicators to provide their decision within 14 days. SCU will chase a response if a decision has not been provided within four weeks.
	Complaints records are not kept for five years. Between January and December 2009 the SCU has recorded three complaints about delays in determining reviews. These three complaints were found to be justified and were resolved by apologising to the complainant and actioning the review. The Commission has not raised complaints with adjudicators.

Organised Crime: Immigration

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been convicted of an offence relating to organised immigration crimes in each year since 1998.

Claire Ward: Organised immigration crimes do not exist as specific offences. Immigration and criminal offences are incorporated within Immigration Acts and other statutes. Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice does not record specific information on offences beyond descriptions provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought.

Prisoners Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2010,  Official Report, column 864W, on prisoners release, from which prisons were prisoners released in error in 2009.

Maria Eagle: The following tables show the breakdown of releases in error by prison and court areas in England and Wales. These figures cover the period between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009.
	The majority of prisoners released in error are returned to custody quickly. They are usually unaware of the error and make no attempt to evade the police.
	
		
			  Table 1: Releases in error from prisons in England and Wales for 2009 
			  Establishment  Number 
			 Acklington 1 
			 Altcourse 4 
			 Belmarsh 2 
			 Brinsford 1 
			 Bristol 3 
			 Brixton 2 
			 Bullingdon 1 
			 Chelmsford 1 
			 Dovegate 1 
			 Durham 2 
			 Elmley 1 
			 Gloucester 1 
			 Haslar 1 
			 Haverigg 1 
			 Highdown 2 
			 Leeds 1 
			 Lewes 2 
			 Liverpool 1 
			 Low Newton 1 
			 Manchester 1 
			 New Hall 1 
			 Nottingham 1 
			 Onley 2 
			 Pentonville 1 
			 Peterborough 2 
			 Preston 1 
			 Reading 1 
			 Standford Hill 2 
			 Swansea 1 
			 The Mount 1 
			 Winchester 3 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 1 
			 Wymott 1 
			 Total 48 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Release in errors from court areas in England and Wales for 2009 
			  Court area  Number 
			 East 2 
			 London and South East 2 
			 North 1 
			 South Wales and West 1 
			 Total 6 
			  Note:   These figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The number of releases in error reported for 2009 may change should further incidents be reported.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the cost of installing a mobile telephone blocker in every prison; and what plans his Department has for their installation in every prison.

Maria Eagle: National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is currently trialling mobile phone signal blocking technology. Given commercial sensitivity and the fact that pilot projects are testing various technologies, I am unable to provide details of the potential cost of installing a mobile phone blocker in all prisons.
	As agreed in the Government response to the Blakey report, NOMS will seek to deploy further blockers once the technology has been shown to be effective in prison conditions and as funding allows.

Referendums: Costs

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent estimate he has made of the cost of holding a referendum.

Jack Straw: Under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 the Electoral Commission is responsible for the conduct of referendums.
	The Government have not made a detailed estimate of the likely cost of holding a referendum. We have previously said that, as a guide, we expect the cost of running a UK-wide referendum to be similar to the cost of a general election. In 2005 the general election cost something in excess of £80 million.
	There are however, a number of key differences between the running of a general election and the running of a referendum-for example, the role of the Electoral Commission and the entitlements to send communications to voters-and as such the cost of a UK-wide referendum would not be exactly the same as a general election.

Robbery: Convictions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in each age group were convicted of robbery in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England and Wales in each year since 1998.

Claire Ward: The number of people convicted of robbery in Greater London and England and Wales in each age group for 1998 to 2008 (latest available) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for robbery offences, by age group, from 1998 to 2008( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Greater London 
			  Number of offenders 
			  Type of offence, sex and age group  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 1) 
			  Robbery offences
			  Persons
			 10 to 11 1 3 3 5 4 2 9 3 8 11 10 
			 12 to 14 94 94 146 240 192 190 240 233 384 498 497 
			 15 to 17 495 495 558 743 669 592 761 870 1,141 1,282 1,063 
			 18 to 20 309 300 276 303 346 318 330 310 417 495 469 
			 21 and over 459 519 473 485 726 736 692 539 629 641 709 
			 Total 1,358 1,411 1,456 1,776 1,937 1,838 2,032 1,955 2,579 2,927 2,748 
		
	
	
		
			  England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders 
			  Type of offence, sex and age group  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008( 1) 
			  Robbery offences
			  Persons
			 10 to 11 19 23 31 26 36 33 46 32 29 40 33 
			 12 to 14 412 410 469 681 632 679 695 736 849 993 918 
			 15 to 17 1,739 1,611 1,725 2,085 2,139 1,929 2,223 2,311 2,823 3,082 2,667 
			 18 to 20 1,302 1,235 1,261 1,446 1,480 1,314 1,462 1,387 1,639 1,810 1,753 
			 21 and over 2,070 2,347 2,405 2,584 3,424 3,348 3,055 2,617 2,765 2,904 3,104 
			 Total 5,542 5,626 5,891 6,822 7,711 7,303 7,481 7,083 8,105 8,829 8,475 
			 (1) Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (2) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice.

CABINET OFFICE

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 956W, on the Census, if she will place in the Library a copy of the data-sharing agreement with  (a) Local Government Information House,  (b) the Royal Mail and  (c) Ordnance Survey.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking if a copy of the data-sharing agreement with (a) Local Government Information House, (b) the Royal Mail and (c) Ordnance Survey will be placed in the Library. (315172)
	There are no plans to lay a copy of the data-sharing agreement in the House of Commons Library. However an electronic version of the agreement will be on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website shortly.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 951W, on the Census, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Information Commissioner's response on the privacy impact assessment.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, column 951W on the Census, if a copy of the information commissioner's response on the privacy impact assessment will be placed in the Library. (315173)
	The Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a process developed by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and we had preliminary meetings with the ICO on the scope of the PIA. Their advice was to focus on those aspects of the 2011 Census which are new and have been introduced since the 2001 Census. They also offered suggestions about which privacy groups to speak to. Further guidance was obtained through their published handbook.
	The Privacy Impact Assessment was published on the ONS website in November. We have had no response from the Information Commissioner to the published document.
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/census/2011-census/2011-census-project/commitment-to-confidentiality/index.html

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 951W, on Census, if she will place in the Library a copy of each written submission made to the Office for National Statistics on the Census by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2009, Official Report, column 951W on Census, if a copy of each written submission made to the Office for National Statistics on the Census by the Equality and Human Rights Commission will be placed in the Library. (315174)
	There are no plans to place in the Library copies of written submissions made by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (and the former bodies that have since been incorporated into it). Individual written submissions in response to the programme of consultation on census topics in 2005 are available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/about/consultations/closed-consultations/consultation-on-2011-census---responses/index.html

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  with reference to paragraph 4.76 of the Census 2001's General Report for England and Wales, if she will place in the Library a copy of each document drawn up on guidance and training on procedures for handling census non-compliance;
	(2)  how many non-compliance staff are planned for the Census 2011; and what estimate has been made of the cost of employing such staff.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (1) With reference to paragraph 4.76 of the Census 2001 General Report for England and Wales, if a copy of each document drawn up on guidance and training on procedures for handling census non-compliance will be placed in the Library; (2) How many non-compliance staff are planned for the census 2011; and what estimate has been made of the cost of employing such staff. (315219 and 315273)
	(1) There are no plans to place such documentation in the Library. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) considers any such guidance to be covered by legal and professional privilege, and that its publication may have a detrimental effect on ONS's public responsibilities and may adversely affect any potential prosecution undertaken in respect of anyone refusing to make a census return.
	(2) Current estimations of the resources needed for the non-compliance stage of the 2011 Census are for up to 60 teams of two people covering England and Wales managed by six non-compliance coordinators. It is expected that census non-compliance teams will be engaged full time for the first six months but that their involvement will taper off rapidly after this until only the occasional visit or court attendance is required during the following six months.
	Initial estimates for costs of these staff over the entire census period are approximately £1.3 - £1.8 million. These costs are currently being reviewed.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the person response rate was in the 2001 Census in each local authority area; and what the estimated number of people is in each local authority area who did not respond.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the person response rate was in the 2001 Census in each local authority area; and what the estimated number of people is in each local authority area who did not respond. (315255)
	Listing the response rates for each local authority area in England and Wales areas is not practical within this answer. However, response rates are accessible in a spreadsheet available through this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.Uk/census2001/annexb.asp#byarea
	The spreadsheet is downloadable. Whilst it does not show the actual number or people in each local authority area that did not respond, the first column gives a percentage of those people within each of the local authority areas that did respond; this information is then broken down by age and gender.
	To make sure the published census results are an accurate picture of the population, an independent survey-the Census Coverage Survey (CCS)-is carried out after the census. The households and people counted in the CCS are matched with those recorded in the census to allow Office for National Statistics (ONS) to estimate the number and the characteristics of people not included on a census questionnaire.
	The results of the CCS are then used in conjunction with the Census results to ensure that the final published results are an accurate estimation of the population in England and Wales.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of the potential effect of a postal strike on the 2011 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what assessment has been made of the potential effect of a postal strike on the 2011 Census. (315265)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has contracted the delivery and post back of census questionnaires to Royal Mail. Part of this contract requires Royal Mail to develop a number of contingency plans which can be put in place in the event of disruption to postal services during the 2011 Census. These plans are part of ONS's contractual arrangements with Royal Mail, and are therefore commercially confidential.
	We have been able to test some of the Royal Mail contingency plans during the census rehearsal in Lancaster, Newham and Isle of Anglesey, as it took place during a period industrial action. There was no impact on the delivery of questionnaires and the measures put in place to avoid disruption to the rehearsal worked well. ONS would expect Royal Mail to handle any potential issues occurring during the time of the 2011 Census in a similarly effective manner.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what arrangements will apply to recording the details of guests at house parties on 2011 Census night.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what arrangements will apply to recording the details of guests at house parties on 2011 Census night. (315329)
	As explained in my answer to your similar question (Official Report column 957W 3 December 2009), as in previous censuses (but with the exception of 2001) in addition to recording information for all usual residents at an address on census night, householders are required to record any non-resident persons present on census night, including house party guests if they stay overnight. In 2011, four questions will be asked about overnight visitors-name, sex, date of birth, usual address. In censuses taken before 2001, overnight visitors were required to answer the full range of census questions.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) the UK had at least one (i) edit and (ii) imputation made to their record in the 2001 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking: i) how many and what proportion of people in (a) England and Wales and (b) the UK had at least one (i) edit and (ii) imputation made to their record in the 2001 Census. (315334)
	a) An Edit and Donor Imputation System (EDIS) was devised for the 2001 Census and applied to individual records to provide proxy data for any missing information from existing people and households.
	(i) The base population for EDIS was 49.4 million people in England and Wales, including some 0.6 million students living away from home during term-time for whom only a few demographic and relationship questions applied at their home address. A total of 13.7 million edits were carried out on the data for some 11.8 million of these people. The eight most frequently executed edits accounted for 91 per cent of the total.
	(ii) One or more data items needed to be imputed for 13.8 million people-that is 28.0 per cent of the population who returned census questionnaires.
	Detailed information about edit and imputation is available on the website
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/editimputevrep.asp
	The Census 2001 Quality Report for England and Wales, published and laid before Parliament in 2005, includes information on edit and imputation. A copy of the report is thus available at the House of Commons Library and is also available on the National Statistics website through this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/proj_qr.asp
	b) Censuses in Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsibility of the Registrars General for the General Register Office Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics Research Agency respectively.

Census

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the imputation rate in the 2001 Census for  (a) persons and  (b) households was in each local authority area.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking what the imputation rate in the 2001 Census for (a) persons and (b) households was in each local authority area. (315338)
	The numbers of people and households imputed in each local authority into the final 2001 Census counts were used to produce an imputation rate, analysed by a number of key variables. Listing the imputation rates for each local authority area in England and Wales is not practical within this answer. However, imputation rates by key variables for each local authority in England and Wales are accessible in a spreadsheet available through this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/imputation_rates_ by_variable.asp
	This spreadsheet is downloadable.

Census: Communications

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many telephone calls were made to the 2001 Census helpline; how many were predicted before the line became operational; and what assessment was made of the adequacy of the capacity of the line;
	(2)  how many emails were sent to the email help system in the 2001 Census; and what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum time taken to respond was.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking (1) how many telephone calls were made to the 2001 Census helpline; how many were predicted before the line became operational; and what assessment was made of the adequacy of the capacity of the line; (2) How many emails were sent to the email help system in the 2001 Census; and what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum time taken to respond to them was. (315330 and 315335)
	The 2001 Census Helpline in England and Wales received 2,629,455 calls, with some 240,000 calls received on 23 April alone. Experience of previous census helplines had suggested that the number of calls would be much lower; for example, the 1991 Census helpline had received 125,000 calls prior to Census Day and a further 85,000 subsequently. For the 2001 Census, initial estimates predicted the expected number of calls in England and Wales at 375,000. When it became apparent that the volume of calls being received was far in excess of expectations, the number of telephone lines was increased to 1,000 with an additional 50 operators.
	For the 2001 Census in England and Wales the email help system received 16,399 emails. It is not possible to provide average and maximum response times to these emails as these data no longer exist. It was realised at the time that it would not be possible to answer all email queries immediately and the system was designed so that an automatic reply was sent informing the questioner that their query would be answered within 24 hours. However, priority was given to telephone calls and during the unprecedented deluge of calls to the telephone helpline it was not always possible to adhere to the 24 hour deadline. Those emails with more complex issues which had to be escalated to specialist staff for a response were also not always replied to within the 24 hour deadline.

Census: EU Law

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Census datasets the Government is required to provide to the European Commission.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what Census datasets the Government is required to provide to the European Commission. (315253)
	The classifications for the statistical outputs from the 2011 Census to be provided to the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) under the provision of Article 7 (1) (a) of Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and the Council on population and housing censuses, which came into force on 9 July 2008, were prescribed in a subsequent implementing Regulation (EC) 201/2009, which came into force on 30 March 2009. The draft of a further implementing Regulation setting out the details of the statistical programme of data to be made available to Eurostat is being submitted for approval by the European Statistical Systems Committee at its next meeting on 11 February.
	Copies of EU Regulations are available from the House of Commons Library.

Census: Homelessness

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how homeless people were counted in the 2001 Census; how many homeless people were counted; and how homeless people will be counted in the 2011 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how homeless people were counted in the 2001 Census; how many homeless people were counted; and how homeless people will be counted in the 2011 Census. (315333)
	In the 2001 Census initial liaison took place with the Rough Sleepers Unit of the then Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions to explore the potential for them to assist and advise in counting persons sleeping rough. Some information on particular areas where there were known to be persons sleeping rough was obtained through this contact. Additionally every local authority within England and Wales was contacted for geographical information on persons sleeping rough and contact was made with organisations such as the National Homeless Alliance and Shelter from which volunteers were sought to help conduct the enumeration. The count of rough sleepers was held on census night between 22:00 hours and 06:00 hours the following morning. For each location containing one or more rough sleepers, the enumerators completed a communal establishment questionnaire, which had a specific category for rough sleepers and which provided an address to link the individuals to. The enumerators then either asked rough sleepers to complete their own individual questionnaire, or tried to gather basic demographic information to do this on the individual's behalf.
	The total number of rough sleepers recorded in the 2001 Census in England and Wales was 938.
	For the 2011 Census we are still researching the best methodology to use for counting people sleeping, or bedded down, in the open air (such as on the streets, or in doorways, parks or bus shelters); and people in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, or stations. We have liaised with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) who are now responsible for overseeing work on this issue. We have also been in touch with local authorities who are required to conduct their own annual counts if they have more than ten rough sleepers to learn how they carry out their counts to see whether any successful procedures used by them could be used or modified.
	Hostels or night shelters which have homeless people staying will be enumerated as Communal Establishments (CEs). CE managers will get a questionnaire to complete containing basic questions on the accommodation type and including a headcount of all visitors staying there on census night. However, anyone staying at the establishment who has no usual residence elsewhere would also be expected to complete an individual questionnaire, including any non UK residents who intend to stay in the country for three months or more. The individual questionnaire contains the complete set of census questions that would normally be completed by household residents.
	Local census field managers will contact hostels and night shelters several weeks before the census to make arrangements and assess any requirements for special supplies such as literacy aids or translations. The questionnaires will then be delivered just before census day by a special enumerator. The CE manager is responsible for getting everything completed on census night. The special enumerator will then return and collect the questionnaires by hand shortly after census day.

Census: ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the limit is on the number of users who will be able to use the Census online system at any one time.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the limit is on the number of users who will be able to use the Census online system at any one time. (315274)
	The Office for National Statistics estimates that up to 25 per cent. of people will use the online option. We expect many of these to complete an online questionnaire before or after census day itself and expect the peak of usage to be during the evening of 27 March 2011. We are still reviewing, with our contractors, the best way of supporting the maximum number of concurrent users possible; therefore the actual maximum number of users that could use the system at one time is not yet finalised. However, should there be more users wanting to use the online system at any one time than it is capable of accommodating, those people already in the system will be able to carry on as normal, and additional users will be asked to try again later.

Census: ICT

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what checks were carried out by the Office for National Statistics on the accuracy of the optical data capture exercise in the 2001 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what checks were carried out by the Office for National Statistics on the accuracy of the optical data capture exercise in the 2001 Census. (315337)
	The 2001 Census scanning system used Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to lift information from 2001 Census questionnaires. An automated coding system was used for responses that required translation from a textual response into a numerical code. Responses not able to be coded automatically were coded manually. An automatic quality assurance system was incorporated within the data capture and coding subsystems, and these checks assessed whether quality standards were being met. Quality standards were measured continuously throughout data processing. The overall results for each of these standards were:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  Item  Accuracy standard  Accuracy achieved 
			 OMR 99.3 99.84 
			 OCR Alpha 96.0 99.03 
			 OCR Alpha numeric 95.0 98.99 
			 OCR Numeric 98.0 99.75 
			 Date of Birth 99.5 99.93 
			 Form Identity 99.995 99.68 
			 Country of Birth 96.0 99.80 
			 Ethnic Group 96.0 98.60 
			 Religion 96.0 98.80 
			 Industry 88.0 89.10 
			 Occupation 88.0 91.10 
			 Enumeration 100.0 99.30 
			 Workplace 94.5 94.30 
			 Address 1 year Ago 96.5 98.10 
			  Key: OMR-Optical Mark Recognition OCR-Optical Character Recognition  Notes: 1. The coding results above relate only to textual responses. 2. Where the answer could have been a tick box, these are included in the OMR results. 
		
	
	Full information on accuracy and data quality are available in the published Census 2001 Quality Report for England and Wales ISBN 1-4039-8769-6 and laid before Parliament in 2005 and which is also available on the website through this link:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/proj_gr.asp

Census: Lost Property

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the proportion and number of completed Census questionnaires that were lost by Royal Mail in the 2001 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the proportion and number of completed census questionnaires that were lost by Royal Mail in the 2001 Census. (315256)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is not aware of Royal Mail having lost any questionnaires in 2001 and was satisfied with the strict security measures maintained by Royal Mail in their handling of census questionnaires.
	ONS acknowledges that there were some sporadic instances of questionnaires being delivered to the processing site later than originally intended, due to, for example, backlogs in Royal Mail's delivery process.
	The post back of questionnaires using Royal Mail in 2001 worked effectively overall, which led to the decision for the 2011 Census to both post questionnaires out and allow respondents to post them back, using Royal Mail.
	For the 2011 Census a new Questionnaire Tracking System has been developed which will track questionnaires throughout the census using barcodes and scanning equipment.

Census: Security

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps are being taken to prevent phishing attacks related to the 2011 Census.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what steps are being taken to prevent phishing attacks related to the 2011 Census. (315267)
	The primary mechanism for phishing attacks is email and the 2011 Census will not be sending any unsolicited emails to the public or emails asking the public to supply any personal details, click on links to any websites (including the official census website) or to verify any login credentials. This message will be clearly displayed on the census website. The census website will also provide advice and guidance to the public on the threat of phishing attacks, how to reduce the risk of phishing attacks and the steps to take in the event of a suspected phishing attack.
	The official census website address is memorable and will be clearly printed on the census forms. As a precaution, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will also be defensively registering a range of similar website addresses and will be monitoring for rogue websites to reduce the risk from imitation census websites appearing in popular search engines.

Census: Travelling People

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what means will be used to collect 2011 Census forms from  (a) Travellers and  (b) people in travelling fairs.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what means will be used to collect 2011 Census forms from (a) travellers and (b) people in travelling fairs.(315263)
	We are making special preparations to enumerate Gypsies, Travellers and people in travelling fairs and in developing the plans we are working closely with local authority Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Officers, as well as with Gypsy and Traveller community groups.
	Travellers, Gypsies and people in travelling fairs will be counted by special enumerators who are trained to liaise successfully with these groups. Advance information about traveller sites will be gathered including any requirements for help with literacy or sight or hearing impairment issues. Authorised sites will be visited as pre-arranged with the site manager to hand deliver questionnaires. Transit sites and any temporary roving caravans, travelling fairs and circuses will also be visited to complete both delivery and collection of questionnaires.
	Following face-to-face meetings with a number of Roma and Romani community leaders and support organisations, plus direct meetings with representations of Travellers and Gypsy communities, we are planning to recruit directly from those communities to help overcome issues of literacy, language and concerns about confidentiality. The community leaders themselves have also offered to support our Census awareness campaign. We are continuing through the community liaison programme to improve contact with Gypsy and Traveller groups.
	The proposed 2011 Census ethnic group question includes for the first time a specific category for 'Gypsy or Irish Traveller'. A write-in option is also available for those Travellers who may wish to identify themselves in any other way.

Chief Information Officer: Government Communications

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Communications Manager in the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Senior Information Risk Owner will be a member of the Government Communications Network.

Angela Smith: The post of Communications Manager within the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and Senior Information Risk Owner was recently advertised and an offer of employment made. The new incumbent is not yet in post.
	When in post, the Communications Manager will be able to register with the Government Communication Network (GCN). GCN is a virtual, online network and resource open to all civil servants who have an interest in government communications.

Death: Cancer

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many deaths from  (a) breast cancer and  (b) heart disease were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many deaths from cancer of the  (a) mouth,  (b) oesophagus and  (c) larynx were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many deaths from breast cancer were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
	1) How many deaths from (a) breast cancer and (b) heart disease were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available. (316280)
	2) How many deaths from cancer of the (a) mouth, (b) oesophagus and (c) larynx were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available. (316293)
	3) How many deaths from breast cancer were caused by alcohol in the last year for which figures are available. (316348)
	It is not possible to provide figures for the number of deaths where (a) breast cancer, (b) heart disease, (c) cancer of the mouth, (d) cancer of the oesophagus or (e) cancer of the larynx was the underlying cause of death, and which were caused by alcohol, from the information collected at death registration.
	Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Medical practitioners and coroners are not required to record all of the diseases or conditions present at or before death, and whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgement. Lifestyle and behavioural factors, such as the deceased's alcohol consumption, are not recorded.

Death: Cancer

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many deaths from cancer of the  (a) mouth,  (b) oesophagus and  (c) larynx there were in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  many deaths from breast cancer there were in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions asking:
	(1) How many deaths from cancer of the  (a) mouth,  (b) oesophagus and  (c) larynx there were in the last year for which figures are available. (316292)
	(2) How many deaths from breast cancer there were in the last year for which figures are available. (316294)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where cancer of the  (a) mouth,  (b) oesophagus,  (c) larynx, and  (d) breast was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, in 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths where cancer of the mouth, oesophagus, larynx and breast was the underlying cause of death, England and Wales, 2008( 1, )( 2)( , )( 3) 
			  Cause of death  Number 
			 Cancer of the mouth 418 
			 Cancer of the oesophagus 6,609 
			 Cancer of the larynx 715 
			 Breast cancer 10,779 
			 1 Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C03-C06 (cancer of the mouth), C15 (cancer of the oesophagus), C32 (cancer of the larynx) and C50 (breast cancer). 2 Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. 3 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Liver Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths from  (a) liver cancer and  (b) other liver disease there have been in (i) England and (ii) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking in how many deaths from (a) liver cancer and (b) other liver disease there have been in (i) England and (ii) each constituency in each year since 1997. (315907)
	The tables provide the number of deaths with an underlying cause of (a) liver cancer (table 1) and (b) liver diseases (table 2) in (i) England and (ii) each English parliamentary constituency, from 1997 to 2008 (the latest year available). Copies have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Death: Liver Diseases

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths from  (a) chronic liver disease and  (b) cirrhosis there were in the last 12 months; and in how many such cases alcohol was listed on the death certificate.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from (a) chronic liver disease and (b) cirrhosis there were in the last 12 months; and in how many such cases alcohol was listed on the death certificate. (316279)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths with an underlying cause of (a) chronic liver disease and (b) cirrhosis, and the number of cases where alcohol is also mentioned on the death certificate as a contributing factor, in England and Wales, for 2008 (the latest year available).
	Since cirrhosis is defined as a chronic liver disease, all deaths from cirrhosis are included in the figures for chronic liver disease.
	
		
			  Table 1. Numbers of deaths with an underlying cause of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis1, and the number mentioning alcohol as a contributing factor( 2) , England and Wales( 3) , 2008( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Chronic liver disease  Cirrhosis 
			 Underlying cause 6,514 2,510 
			 With mention of alcohol 4,797 1,035 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Deaths were categorised as alcohol mentions where the underlying cause was chronic liver disease or cirrhosis and one of the ICD-10 codes listed in the box below was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Chronic liver disease, Cirrhosis and Alcohol mentions-International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			   ICD-10 code(s) 
			  Chronic Liver Disease  
			 Chronic viral hepatitis B18 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Toxic liver disease K71.3-K71.9 
			 Chronic hepatic failure and hepatic failure unspecified K72.1-K72.9 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			   
			  Cirrhosis  
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver K70.3 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			   
			  Alcohol mentions  
			 Alcohol-induced pseudo-Cushing's syndrome E24.4 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic myopathy G72.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Alcohol-induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Finding of alcohol in blood R78.0 
			 Toxic effect of alcohol T51 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Death: Respiratory Disease

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many deaths of children aged  (a) one to four and  (b) five to 14 years (i) in total and (ii) as a result of respiratory disease there were in England and Wales in each month since 2006.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths of children aged  (a) one to four and  (b) five to 14 years (i) in total and (ii) as a result of respiratory disease there were in England and Wales in each month since 2006. (316441)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths of children aged  (a ) 1 to 4 years and  (b) 5 to 14 years for (i) all causes (Table 1) and (ii) where respiratory diseases were the underlying cause of death (Table 2), in England and Wales, in each month, for 2006 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1:  Deaths of children aged one to four and five to 14 years, by month, England and Wales, 2006-08( 1, 2) 
			  Number 
			   One to four  Five to 14 
			   2006  2007  2008  2006  2007  2008 
			 January 55 46 45 68 58 51 
			 February 57 63 36 63 59 49 
			 March 44 56 49 61 66 53 
			 April 53 41 39 68 60 53 
			 May 48 54 41 51 62 56 
			 June 50 43 48 61 47 48 
			 July 34 34 40 69 49 56 
			 August 32 40 29 56 62 47 
			 September 27 40 35 56 51 40 
			 October 35 43 42 61 51 40 
			 November 46 48 47 48 44 56 
			 December 64 48 55 66 66 41 
			 (1) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.  (2) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar month and year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Deaths of children aged one to four and five to 14 years, where respiratory diseases were the underlying cause of death, by month, England and Wales, 2006-08( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			   One to four  Five to 14 
			   2006  2007  2008  2006  2007  2008 
			 January 7 4 9 8 5 9 
			 February 2 7 4 10 7 4 
			 March 5 5 8 5 2 0 
			 April 5 5 2 6 2 8 
			 May 7 3 5 5 5 2 
			 June 2 2 2 5 1 2 
			 July 1 5 2 7 6 4 
			 August 1 0 2 7 1 2 
			 September 2 3 1 2 7 3 
			 October 1 2 5 2 6 5 
			 November 6 8 7 2 5 3 
			 December 11 10 9 6 6 3 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes J00 to J99 (diseases of the respiratory system).(  2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents.(  3) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar month and year.

Departmental Recruitment

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many job vacancies in  (a) her Department,  (b) the Charity Commission and  (c) the Central Office of Information were filled using external recruitment in the last year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The number of job vacancies filled using external recruitment from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009 was  (a) 88 at Cabinet Office  (b) 85 at the Charity Commission and  (c) 74 at the Central Office of Information.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff in her Department have had five or more periods of sickness absence of less than five days in two or more of the last three years.

Angela Smith: There has been 36 staff that have had five or more periods of absence which have lasted less than five days in two or more of the last three calendar years.

Employment: Merseyside

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many jobs there were in Merseyside  (a) in 1997 and  (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many jobs there were in Merseyside  (a) in 1997 and  (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available. (315995)
	Estimates of the number of jobs in local areas are not available. As an alternative we have provided estimates of the number of people employed in Merseyside on the requested dates.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the Annual Labour Force Survey following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The number of persons resident in Merseyside employed in the March 1997 to February 1998 period was 522,000 and for the July 2008 to June 2009 period was 572,000.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Government Communications

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the eight principles of the Government Communication Network's Engage Strategic Communications Framework are.

Tessa Jowell: There are eight key principles to the Government Communication Network's Engage Strategic Communications Framework.
	These identified in the Introduction to Engage booklet (2006) as:
	1. Listening, consulting, understanding, questioning to obtain insight into people's motivations, needs and barriers.
	2. Segmentation makes our communication more effective. Identifying people with distinctive shared needs, characteristics and beliefs gives a sharper focus to policy and communication.
	3. Changing behaviour is often essential to policy delivery. We need to work with colleagues to help identify the interventions that will encourage change and develop communication that will support them, and really engage our audiences.
	4. Propositions express policy in a way that makes sense to people we are targeting and gives them a clear understanding of what's in it for them or for society as a whole.
	5. Reaching people in complex communication environments means that we must consider a wide range of media, channel and stakeholder options.
	6. The best people experience is achieved when the views of the public are fed into all aspects of policy development and service delivery.
	7. We need to collaborate with policy and service delivery partners and stakeholders if we are to improve communication and encourage effective engagement with our audiences.
	8. Being open and accountable in all our communication and marketing activities, adhering to our civil service values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Government Communications

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2009,  Official Report, column 702W, on Government communications, how many public sector employees are registered to access the Government Communication Network.

Tessa Jowell: The Government Communications Network is a virtual, online network and resource open to all civil servants who have an interest in Government communications.
	As of December 2009 there are 5,844 civil servants registered to the Government Communication Network website. These registrations include communications staff and other civil servants in no-communications roles.
	These registrations include both those who work solely on Government communications and those civil servants who have registered for whom communications may only be part of their role or who wish to access specific best practice material.

Government Departments: ICT

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the estimated monetary value is of the central Government information and communication technology contracts that are expected to be renewed or commissioned over the next two years.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Details of ICT contracts across central Government are not held centrally. However, data on the IT expenditure since 2006 for those parts of the public sector represented on the Chief Information Officers' Council can be found in the Transformational Government Annual Reports using the following link.
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational_government.aspx

Office for National Statistics: Contracts

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the monetary value is of the Office for National Statistics' 2011 Census contract with  (a) Polestar,  (b) UK Data Capture,  (c) Cable and Wireless,  (d) bss,  (e) Logica,  (f) Steria and  (g) Lockheed Martin.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the monetary value is of the Office for National Statistics 2011 Census contract with  (a) Polestar,  (b) UK Data Capture,  (c) Cable and Wireless,  (d) bss,  (e) Logica,  (f) Steria and  (g) Lockheed Martin. (315266)
	The monetary value of the contract with  (g) Lockheed Martin UK is approximately £150 million. Lockheed Martin UK has subcontracted a number of specialist activities to  (a) Polestar,  (b) UK Data Capture,  (c) Cable and Wireless,  (d) bss,  (e) Logica and  (f) Steria. These contracts are commercially confidential and I am unable therefore to supply details.

Unemployment: East Sussex

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants in each constituency in East Sussex had been claiming the allowance for  (a) up to three,  (b) between three and six,  (c) between six and 12 and  (d) between 12 and 24 months in each month since September 2009.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 5 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of jobseeker's allowance claimants in each constituency in East Sussex had been claiming the allowance for (a) up to three, (b) between three and six, (c) between six and 12 and (d) between 12 and 24 months in each month since September 2009 (315762).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles the number of claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) from the Jobcentre Plus administrative system.
	Table 1 shows the number of computerised claims of Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for people, aged 16 or over resident in each parliamentary constituency in East Sussex, by duration of the claim in each month since September 2009. Table 2 shows the percentage of all claimants in each constituency by duration of the claim for the same periods.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1-Numbe r of persons claiming  jobseeker' s allowance  by duration of claim 
			   September 2009  October 2009 
			  Duration of claim  Up to 13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to  26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to  52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Total  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to  26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to  52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Total 
			 Bexhill and Battle 615 305 335 120 1,405 635 305 315 150 1,435 
			 Brighton, Kemptown 1,060 490 550 255 2,500 1,140 490 535 265 2,580 
			 Brighton, Pavilion 1,375 480 575 275 2,840 1,325 515 565 290 2,830 
			 Eastbourne 980 470 485 215 2,175 950 485 485 225 2,175 
			 Hastings and Rye 1,195 780 765 350 3,140 1,325 715 800 375 3,280 
			 Hove 1,065 560 460 245 2,475 1,080 515 465 265 2,470 
			 Lewes 640 310 270 95 1,345 640 310 285 100 1,365 
			 Wealden 600 265 265 70 1,215 570 250 265 80 1,175 
			
			 Total 7,540 3,665 3,720 1,640 17,105 7,675 3,600 3,720 1,760 17,320 
		
	
	
		
			   November 2009  December 2009 
			  Duration of claim  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to  26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to  52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Total  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to  26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to  52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Total 
			 Bexhill and Battle 625 300 295 160 1,410 650 295 285 180 1,450 
			 Brighton, Kemptown 1,160 485 520 295 2,610 1,150 515 500 315 2,640 
			 Brighton, Pavilion 1,290 560 515 315 2,830 1,185 640 480 330 2,790 
			 Eastbourne 985 480 475 235 2,215 995 500 455 270 2,260 
			 Hastings and Rye 1,420 655 835 445 3,425 1,465 705 850 490 3,585 
			 Hove 1,095 545 490 275 2,560 1,035 540 500 280 2,515 
			 Lewes 600 305 275 115 1,340 605 295 295 130 1,365 
			 Wealden 560 235 245 95 1,150 520 265 225 115 1,150 
			
			 Total 7,740 3,585 3,665 1,950 17,560 7,620 3,765 3,605 2,120 17,770 
			  Notes: 1. Data rounded to nearest five. 2. Age and duration data is only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2-Proportion of claimants of  jobseeker's allowance  by duration of claim 
			  Percentage 
			   September 2009  October 2009 
			  Duration of claim  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to 26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to 52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to 26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to 52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks 
			 Bexhill and Battle 44 22 24 9 44 21 22 10 
			 Brighton, Kemptown 42 20 22 10 44 19 21 10 
			 Brighton, Pavilion 48 17 20 10 47 18 20 10 
			 Eastbourne 45 22 22 10 44 22 22 10 
			 Hastings and Rye 38 25 24 11 41 22 24 12 
			 Hove 43 23 19 10 44 21 19 11 
			 Lewes 48 23 20 7 47 23 21 7 
			 Wealden 49 22 22 6 48 21 23 7 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   November 2009  December 2009 
			  Duration of claim  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to 26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to 52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks  Up to  13 weeks  Over  13 weeks up to 26 weeks  Over  26 weeks up to 52 weeks  Over  52 weeks up to  104 weeks 
			 Bexhill and Battle 44 21 21 11 45 20 20 12 
			 Brighton, Kemptown 44 19 20 11 44 20 19 12 
			 Brighton, Pavilion 46 20 18 11 42 23 17 12 
			 Eastbourne 45 22 21 11 44 22 20 12 
			 Hastings and Rye 41 19 24 13 41 20 24 14 
			 Hove 43 21 19 11 41 22 20 11 
			 Lewes 45 23 21 9 44 22 22 10 
			 Wealden 49 21 21 9 45 23 20 10 
			  Note: Age and duration data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system

Unemployment: Lewes

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the level of unemployment was in Lewes constituency in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 4 February 2010:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what the level of unemployment was in Lewes constituency in each year since 1997. (315772)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of unemployment for the requested geography are not available.
	As an alternative, in Table 1 we have provided the number of persons claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for the Lewes constituency for December 2009 and December of each year since 1997.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of persons resident in Lewes parliamentary constituency claiming  jobseeker's allowance 
			  As at December each year  Number 
			 1997 1,101 
			 1998 1,019 
			 1999 886 
			 2000 743 
			 2001 694 
			 2002 748 
			 2003 725 
			 2004 691 
			 2005 752 
			 2006 758 
			 2007 607 
			 2008 1,091 
			 2009 1,369 
			  Source: Jobcentre Plus administrative system